Carlitos Ricardo Parias had expressed concerns about drinking water quality at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center. During a video call from the Southern California facility, he showed his family water filled with worm-like creatures. Carlos Jurado, Parias’ immigration attorney, later shared the video, emphasizing it as evidence of unfit conditions.
“No one should consume such water,” stated Jurado in a phone interview. He highlighted the mistreatment, saying, “They hunt us like animals, yet don’t treat us even as well as animals in jail.”
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson denied the claims of poor conditions. The spokesperson clarified that the facility receives water from the city of Adelanto, used by local residents and businesses.
“Our staff at the facility also drink the same water,” the spokesperson wrote in an email. “Employees and detainees have 24/7 access to this water through fountains and coolers.”
The spokesperson also mentioned that detainees receive proper meals, water, medical care, and can communicate with families and lawyers. However, immigrant rights attorneys have received complaints despite a federal judge’s order for improvements. Carl Bergquist from CHIRLA noted violations of the court mandate.
CHIRLA is among several plaintiffs in a lawsuit against DHS and ICE over Mojave Desert detention center conditions. Detainees have resorted to hunger strikes over subpar conditions. Recently, Judge Sunshine S. Sykes issued a preliminary injunction requiring DHS and ICE to improve conditions.
The DHS spokesperson criticized Sykes for her decision. “This is another activist judge’s effort to tarnish ICE’s image,” the spokesperson remarked.
Sykes prohibited placing detainees in administrative segregation unless necessary for security. The order required ICE to develop plans for medical care and disability support, and provide access to two independent monitors. ICE fulfilled these, but issues related to water, food quality, and sanitation persist.
The government has filed a request to pause the ruling while appealing in a higher court. Parias, a TikTok streamer injured by federal agents last year, said conditions remain unchanged. He described poor sanitation and failure of staff to clean areas like dining tables or microwaves.
On a recent night, Parias discovered critters in the drinking water. “We found them in places where we washed and the showers,” he noted, referring to the small worm-like creatures from coolers serving 80 people. These coolers supply water for drinking and cooking.
Larry Aguilar, another detainee, confirmed, “This is what we’re drinking.” Despite the court order, Aguilar remarked that conditions remained unaltered. Meals occasionally arrive raw, water access is slow, and staff behavior with visiting family is poor.
In the past two months, Aguilar and others have been restricted from outdoor access, confined to a courtyard surrounded by walls. He shared, “We’ve been indoors here, away from sunlight, for the last two months.”