Adelanto, CA — Two Democratic members of Congress were blocked from entering the Adelanto ICE Processing Center on Friday, July 12 in what they described as an illegal denial of their oversight rights under federal law.
U.S. Reps. Raul Ruiz (D-CA 25) of the Coachella Valley and Norma Torres (D-CA 35) of Pomona arrived at the privately run facility operated by GEO Group in San Bernardino County intending to conduct an inspection.
At the main gate, they found it padlocked.
“This is an obstruction of the law,” Ruiz told a guard in a video depicting the incident. “We have the right to come in and ask questions.”
Torres said denying members of Congress access “is dangerous, it is illegal and … a desperate attempt to hide the abuse happening behind these walls”.
The lawmakers submitted a request on July 7 to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to visit the facility on July 11, in line with a newly imposed seven-day notice policy.
The request reportedly mirrored procedures used by Republican Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-CA 23), who was permitted to visit the same day.
Ruiz and Torres said they were denied entry despite following protocol.
ICE and DHS defended the decision, citing the new notice requirements. A DHS spokesperson told LAist that neither lawmaker gave “sufficient notice to facilitate a visit.”
ICE stated that Ruiz and Torres “ignored the established DHS directive” and that had the proper process been followed, the visit would have been accommodated.
Under federal law, members of Congress are generally allowed to make unannounced visits to DHS detention facilities. However, in June, DHS issued guidance requiring at least 72-hour notice and granted ICE discretion to deny or reschedule visits.
The guidance also asserted that ICE field offices, including Adelanto, are exempt from the unannounced-visit provision. Lawmakers argue this contradicts their statutory authority.
House Homeland Security Committee ranking member Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS 2) has said the changes violate the Constitution and obstruct oversight.
The Adelanto incident is part of a larger trend. In June, Reps. Judy Chu (D-CA 28), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA 34), Maxine Waters (D-CA 43) and Torres were denied access to federal detention centers in Los Angeles and New York following high-profile ICE raids.
Gomez alleged law enforcement used irritants to block their approach. DHS cited protest-related safety concerns.
Separately, on June 8, Chu and others were turned away from Adelanto during an unannounced visit. A follow-up tour on June 17 with Reps. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA 37), Luz Rivas (D-CA 29) and Mark Takano (D-CA 39) was granted.
After that visit, Chu reported concerns over poor sanitation and detainees lacking clean clothes for up to 10 days.
California lawmakers have criticized ICE’s shifting access policies as efforts to evade accountability.
A CalMatters–Palo Alto Online investigation found that the evolving ICE rules now formalize extended prior-notice requirements that lawmakers say undermine congressional oversight.
Advocates and legislators have also raised alarms about conditions inside Adelanto, including complaints of overcrowding, hygiene issues and inadequate medical care.
The facility, opened in 2011 and expanded in 2012, can hold nearly 2,000 detainees under contract with ICE.
Despite ICE’s explanation, Ruiz and Torres maintain they followed the guidance and were wrongly denied access.
“The goalposts keep moving,” Ruiz told LAist.
They and other lawmakers continue pressing DHS to repeal the restrictive policy and restore full access rights under federal law.
