The San Francisco Chronicle and Los Angeles Times were among the media outlets that covered Keker, Van Nest & Peters’ victory this week in securing sweeping relief for individuals detained at the California City ICE detention facility, located in the Mojave Desert.
U.S. District Judge Maxine Chesney ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security to provide constitutionally adequate medical care, temperature-appropriate clothing and blankets, and meaningful access to legal counsel. The court also required the appointment of an independent monitor to ensure medical care, and it provisionally certified the class, which includes the more than 1,000 individuals detained in the facility, which is run by a for-profit prison company.
Media coverage of the order in Gomez Ruiz et al. v. ICE underscored the urgency of conditions at the facility and the significance of the court’s intervention:
- The San Francisco Chronicle article (subscription required) focused on the court’s order to appoint an independent monitor to oversee medical care for detainees. The monitor will be allowed to review medical records and conduct on-site inspections and interviews with patients and staff.
- The Los Angeles Times article (subscription required) covered Judge Chesney’s requirement that DHS and ICE provide “constitutionally adequate healthcare,” access to attorneys, temperature-appropriate clothing, and daily outdoor recreation. The article noted prior complaints, hunger strikes, and emergency motions over delayed treatment.
- The Guardian focused on detainees’ accounts of denied medications, inadequate food and sanitation, and unsafe conditions. Detainees have described the facility as a “torture chamber” and “hell on earth.”
Keker attorneys working on the case include Steven Ragland, Cody Harris, Carlos Martinez, and Lisa Lu. Keker’s co-counsel include the Prison Law Office, the ACLU National Prison Project, and the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice.
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