Press ReleaseUrgent2026-06-18

Reps. Gomez, Aguilar and Chu Demand Investigation into Reports of Retaliation Against Detainees at Adelanto ICE Processing Facility

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This press release from Representative Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) was published on 2026-06-18 and titled "Reps. Gomez, Aguilar and Chu Demand Investigation into Reports of Retaliation Against Detainees at Adelanto ICE Processi".

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Reps. Gomez, Aguilar and Chu Demand Investigation into Reports of Retaliation Against Detainees at Adelanto ICE Processing Facility

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Reps. Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Pete Aguilar (CA-33), and Judy Chu (CA-28) wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin demanding an immediate investigation into reports that multiple detainees at the Adelanto ICE Processing Facility have faced retaliation for a hunger strike and for a meeting with the Members of Congress during a congressional oversight visit earlier this month. On June 1st, the Congressional Members visited the facility and met with detainees who described a disturbing situation there, including poor treatment, unsafe conditions, and inadequate access to food, water, and essential medical care. Prior to the visit, the Members had learned that several detainees went on a hunger strike in order to protest these conditions, and during the visit these reports were confirmed by the individuals the Members visited. Immediately following the oversight visit, the Congressional offices contacted ICE demanding a full and complete accounting of the facts into these disturbing incidents and the hostile treatment of detainees. That’s why the Members of Congress are imploring the Homeland Security Secretary to provide answers about the reported punishments and demanding he hold individuals responsible for inhumane treatment of and retaliation against the detainees. The letter reads in part: “Any report of retaliation against a detainee at an ICE facility is disturbing and warrants investigation, but it is especially troubling if retaliation stemmed from meetings with Members of Congress performing oversight of an ICE facility. Meeting with detainees is an important component of any oversight visit to a detention facility and provides valuable and complete information to Members. They must be thoroughly investigated, and if proven true, corrected and the individuals responsible for them must be held accountable.” Read the full letter below. June 17, 2026 The Honorable Markwayne Mullin Secretary U.S. Department of Homeland Security 2707 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE Washington, D.C. 20528 Dear Secretary Mullin: We are writing to demand an immediate investigation into reports¹ that detainees have been retaliated against after our visit to the Adelanto U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detention Center, located at 10250 Rancho Road, Adelanto, CA 92301, on Monday, June 1, 2026. Any report of retaliation against a detainee at an ICE facility is disturbing and warrants investigation, but it is especially troubling if retaliation stemmed from meetings with Members of Congress performing oversight of an ICE facility. Meeting with detainees is an important component of any oversight visit to a detention facility and provides valuable and complete information to Members. These reports must be thoroughly investigated, and if proven true, corrected, and the individuals responsible for them must be held accountable. During our oversight visit, we met with three detainees who described poor treatment and unsafe conditions at the detention facility. According to the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, a nonprofit law firm that represents detainees at the Adelanto facility, one of these detainees was moved out of the California facility and deported, which they allege was a violation of a court directive. Prior to our visit, we heard reports that detainees were driven to take the desperate action of a hunger strike to protest inhumane conditions at the facility. The individuals raised serious concerns about the conditions in the facility, including the lack of access to adequate food, water, and medical care. Furthermore, they raised disturbing accusations that individuals were being retaliated against for protesting these conditions, including that they were being harassed, placed unjustly in solitary confinement, and subject to expedited deportation. In light of these disturbing reports, we ask that you respond to the following questions no later than June 30, 2026. 1. Were any of the detainees we met during our Congressional oversight visit treated differently than before our visit in the days afterward? This includes, but is not limited to: 1. Being placed in solitary confinement; 1. Being transferred to another detention facility; 1. Being issued a deportation order or removed; 1. Being subject to increased force by detention facility personnel; or 1. Losing privileges provided to other detainees, such as visitation or access to phones or tablets. 2. An issue that was raised by detainees during our oversight visit was the hunger strike mentioned above. Does ICE consider participation in a hunger strike to be a protected freedom of speech activity? What are ICE's policies regarding responses to hunger strikes? 3. Please respond to the reports that detainees were placed in solitary confinement, sent to other facilities across the country, and met with deportation orders following the visit. 4. What are ICE's standard operating procedures regarding the use of solitary confinement and

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Reps. Gomez, Aguilar and Chu Demand Investigation into Reports of Retaliation Against Detainees at Adelanto ICE Processing Facility WASHINGTON, D.C. — Reps. Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Pete Aguilar (CA-33), and Judy Chu (CA-28) wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin demanding an immediate investigation into reports that multiple detainees at the Adelanto ICE Processing Facility have faced retaliation for a hunger strike and for a meeting with the Members of Congress during a congressional oversight visit earlier this month. On June 1st, the Congressional Members visited the facility and met with detainees who described a disturbing situation there, including poor treatment, unsafe conditions, and inadequate access to food, water, and essential medical care. Prior to the visit, the Members had learned that several detainees went on a hunger strike in order to protest these conditions, and during the visit these reports were confirmed by the individuals the Members visited. Immediately following the oversight visit, the Congressional offices contacted ICE demanding a full and complete accounting of the facts into these disturbing incidents and the hostile treatment of detainees. That’s why the Members of Congress are imploring the Homeland Security Secretary to provide answers about the reported punishments and demanding he hold individuals responsible for inhumane treatment of and retaliation against the detainees. The letter reads in part: “Any report of retaliation against a detainee at an ICE facility is disturbing and warrants investigation, but it is especially troubling if retaliation stemmed from meetings with Members of Congress performing oversight of an ICE facility. Meeting with detainees is an important component of any oversight visit to a detention facility and provides valuable and complete information to Members. They must be thoroughly investigated, and if proven true, corrected and the individuals responsible for them must be held accountable.” Read the full letter below. June 17, 2026 The Honorable Markwayne Mullin Secretary U.S. Department of Homeland Security 2707 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE Washington, D.C. 20528 Dear Secretary Mullin: We are writing to demand an immediate investigation into reports¹ that detainees have been retaliated against after our visit to the Adelanto U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detention Center, located at 10250 Rancho Road, Adelanto, CA 92301, on Monday, June 1, 2026. Any report of retaliation against a detainee at an ICE facility is disturbing and warrants investigation, but it is especially troubling if retaliation stemmed from meetings with Members of Congress performing oversight of an ICE facility. Meeting with detainees is an important component of any oversight visit to a detention facility and provides valuable and complete information to Members. These reports must be thoroughly investigated, and if proven true, corrected, and the individuals responsible for them must be held accountable. During our oversight visit, we met with three detainees who described poor treatment and unsafe conditions at the detention facility. According to the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, a nonprofit law firm that represents detainees at the Adelanto facility, one of these detainees was moved out of the California facility and deported, which they allege was a violation of a court directive. Prior to our visit, we heard reports that detainees were driven to take the desperate action of a hunger strike to protest inhumane conditions at the facility. The individuals raised serious concerns about the conditions in the facility, including the lack of access to adequate food, water, and medical care. Furthermore, they raised disturbing accusations that individuals were being retaliated against for protesting these conditions, including that they were being harassed, placed unjustly in solitary confinement, and subject to expedited deportation. In light of these disturbing reports, we ask that you respond to the following questions no later than June 30, 2026. 1. Were any of the detainees we met during our Congressional oversight visit treated differently than before our visit in the days afterward? This includes, but is not limited to: 1. Being placed in solitary confinement; 1. Being transferred to another detention facility; 1. Being issued a deportation order or removed; 1. Being subject to increased force by detention facility personnel; or 1. Losing privileges provided to other detainees, such as visitation or access to phones or tablets. 2. An issue that was raised by detainees during our oversight visit was the hunger strike mentioned above. Does ICE consider participation in a hunger strike to be a protected freedom of speech activity? What are ICE's policies regarding responses to hunger strikes? 3. Please respond to the reports that detainees were placed in solitary confinement, sent to other facilities across the country, and met with deportation orders following the visit. 4. What are ICE's standard operating procedures regarding the use of solitary confinement and