Judge Orders Immediate Reforms at Adelanto ICE Processing Center

U.S. District Judge Sunshine S. Sykes issued a preliminary injunction on July 16, 2026, requiring the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to immediately improve health and safety conditions at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in Southern California. The ruling follows a class-action lawsuit filed in January by Public Counsel and other rights groups alleging that detainees suffered from medical neglect, mold, and lack of clean water.

The court mandated that federal authorities provide 24-hour access to potable water, nutritious meals, daily sanitation, and free hygiene products. The injunction also guarantees outdoor recreation and family visits while restricting the use of administrative segregation. Additionally, the judge required the appointment of two independent third-party monitors and ordered the development of a plan to address medical care and disability accommodations within 14 days.

The Department of Homeland Security denied allegations of subprime conditions and characterized the ruling as the work of an activist judge. Assistant U.S. Attorney Pushkal Mishra argued that the private contractor The GEO Group is responsible for the facility's conditions. However, Judge Sykes found that the plaintiffs are likely to prevail in their case against federal authorities, affirming the government's responsibility to provide constitutionally protected conditions for those it detains.