Controversy Surrounds Drinking Water Conditions at Adelanto ICE Processing Center

Carlitos Ricardo Parias has frequently raised concerns about the drinking water quality at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in Southern California. During a video call from the facility where he is detained, he provided evidence by showing a plastic bottle containing drinking water filled with worm-like organisms.

Parias’ immigration attorney, Carlos Jurado, provided The Times with a copy of the video. In a phone interview, Jurado stated that no one should consume such water. He emphasized that the treatment detainees receive is inhumane, likening it unfavorably to how pets are treated.

The saddest thing is that they hunt us like animals on the streets and they don’t even treat us like animals in jails because no one would give that kind of water to their dog or cat, Jurado said.

A spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security denied any claims of poor conditions. The spokesperson explained that the facility receives its water from the city of Adelanto, the same supply available to local residents and businesses. They noted that both staff and detainees have round-the-clock access to this water through fountains and coolers.

The spokesperson also mentioned that detainees are provided with proper meals, water, medical care, and opportunities to communicate with family members and lawyers. Despite this, immigrant rights attorneys, including Carl Bergquist from the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles (CHIRLA), reported multiple complaints about conditions at the facility. These grievances persist, even after a federal judge ordered improvements to drinking water, food, and medical care at the detention center.

CHIRLA is among several plaintiffs in a federal civil class action lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement over the conditions at the detention center. Detainees have even staged hunger strikes to protest the substandard living conditions.

Recently, U.S. District Judge Sunshine S. Sykes granted a preliminary injunction, compelling DHS and ICE to enhance conditions at the facility. The DHS spokesperson criticized the ruling, characterizing it as misguided. Judge Sykes’ order restricts the government from using administrative segregation for detainees unless necessary for security, and requires ICE to devise a comprehensive plan for medical care and disability accommodations within 14 days.

The order mandates that two independent third-party monitors oversee the facility. One monitor focuses on medical care and disability accommodations, while the other examines general facility conditions. Although ICE has complied with these requirements, according to Bergquist, other critical issues like water and food quality, as well as sanitation, remain unaddressed.

The federal government is seeking to pause the ruling while an appellate court reviews the case. Parias, who was shot by federal immigration agents in Los Angeles last year and is also a TikTok streamer, stated conditions at Adelanto have not improved. He reported inadequate cleanliness of floors, dining tables, and microwaves, tasks detainees often undertake themselves.

Parias recounted that a fellow detainee alerted him to the presence of contaminants in the drinking water. Together, they discovered these worm-like creatures in various locations, including handwashing stations and showers. He showed in the video that the water used for drinking, cooking, and making coffee came from coolers housing these organisms.

Larry Aguilar, another detainee, confirmed he initially informed Parias about the contaminated water. Aguilar shared that none of the conditions appears to have improved following the federal court’s intervention. He identified persistent issues with slow access to drinking water, poorly prepared meals, and unprofessional staff behavior during family visits.

Aguilar also revealed that detainees have been restricted from outdoor access for two months, confined instead to a courtyard encased by four walls with an open ceiling, without explanation. All I really know is that we’ve been locked in here for the last two months without seeing the sun, he said.