The Adelanto ICE Processing Center in California, operated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is currently housing only five individuals out of its capacity to hold thousands. This is due to an outdated coronavirus policy that restricts the number of detainees in the facility.
In September 2020, a judge ruled that the Adelanto ICE Processing Center must reduce its inmate population to allow for adequate social distancing and prevent the spread of COVID-19. Despite President Joe Biden ending the national emergency declaration for the coronavirus in April 2023, the judge’s order remains in effect.
Representative Jay Obernolte has criticized ICE and the Department of Justice for maintaining this policy, calling for its lift. Meanwhile, Border Patrol officials are facing challenges as thousands of undocumented migrants continue to cross the southern border into the United States.
In related news, Border Patrol agents in the San Diego sector apprehended 37,000 undocumented migrants in April. Additionally, in January 2024, ICE extended an evaluation of the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, which was previously expected to close in December. ICE had initiated this evaluation to assess ongoing litigation and operational costs associated with the facility.
