California officials: Immigration facilities lack oversight

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra says detainees confined to federal immigration detention facilities located in California have inadequate access to health care, lawyers and family. Becerra was discussing the findings of a 147-page report prepared by his office that also found that detainees face long periods of confinement without breaks and language barriers in the 10 detention facilities state authorities inspected in 2017.

Becerra says the annual report released is the first of 10 that the state Legislature requires of the California Department of Justice, which is tasked with inspecting all federal immigration detention facilities in the state. That law was one of three immigration-related "sanctuary state" bills passed in 2017 that the Trump administration unsuccessfully challenged in court.

Inspectors spent one day on scheduled visits at 10 facilities in operation in 2017. ICE contracted with four for-profit prison companies and six county sheriffs to house and care for the inmates.