Gomez catches ICE quietly closing downtown LA detention facility
U.S. Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Downtown Los Angeles, Echo Park, Silver Lake) showed up unannounced last week at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE’s) B-18 detention facility in downtown Los Angeles — and discovered the agency was quietly closing the facility and transferring all 22 people detained there to Santa Ana, without any public announcement.
ICE officials disclosed the planned closure and transfers only after Gomez arrived for an unscheduled inspection. Officials told him the facility was being temporarily closed because ICE expects demonstrations in the area this weekend. The closure and transfers had not been publicly disclosed before Gomez walked through the door.
“The public only knows about this because we showed up unannounced and demanded answers,” said Gomez. “I sued the Trump administration to protect Congress’s right to conduct these inspections, and I won. ICE cannot operate behind closed doors, and I will keep showing up to hold them accountable.”
Gomez had previously sued the Trump administration after it attempted to block members of Congress from entering ICE facilities without advance notice — and won, restoring congressional authority to conduct surprise oversight visits.
Since immigration raids began in Los Angeles, Gomez has conducted repeated facility inspections, trained community members to serve as legal observers and organized town halls providing legal resources to thousands of constituents. He also went directly from the airport to Chinatown during the initial raids and successfully pressed federal agents to leave the area.
Chu hails court order demanding immediate Adelanto overhaul
U.S. Rep. Judy Chu (D-Pasadena, San Gabriel Valley), who has pressed for the closure of the Adelanto ICE Processing Center for more than a decade, is hailing a federal court ruling ordering the Department of Homeland Security and ICE to immediately overhaul conditions at the facility after a judge found detainees are likely to succeed on claims that their constitutional and disability rights are being violated.
U.S. District Judge Sunshine S. Sykes issued the order following a class-action lawsuit citing detainee deaths, inadequate medical care, insufficient nutrition, unsafe drinking water, unsanitary living conditions and failures to accommodate people with disabilities.
“Today’s ruling affirms what we have known all along,” said Chu. “Detainees held at Adelanto have been suffering and dying in unacceptably cruel and inhumane conditions. And those who have raised the alarm, including detainees participating in a hunger strike whom I met with last month, have faced solitary confinement or even deportation in retaliation for speaking out. ICE must comply fully and immediately with the court’s order, implement every required reform without delay, and ensure that every person in its custody receives the constitutional protections and basic human dignity they are owed.”
The ruling requires sweeping reforms across medical care, sanitation, food service, recreation, disability accommodations and visitation. ICE must submit a comprehensive remedial plan for medical care and disability accommodations within 14 days, and two independent court-appointed monitors will oversee compliance.
Five people have died while in ICE custody at Adelanto or shortly after being transferred from the facility since the start of President Trump’s second term. At least 13 people have died in connection with the facility since it opened, making it one of the deadliest ICE detention centers in the country.
The Adelanto ICE Processing Center is operated by GEO Group, a private prison contractor receiving millions of taxpayer dollars annually.
Chu said she will continue fighting to permanently close the facility, adding that no amount of court supervision can fix a detention system that has repeatedly failed to protect human life.
Rivas secures $50 million in water infrastructure for San Fernando Valley
U.S. Rep. Luz Rivas (D-San Fernando, Pacoima, Arleta, Panorama City, Sylmar, Van Nuys, Sun Valley, North Hollywood) secured $50 million in federal funding authorizations for water infrastructure improvements in the San Fernando Valley after the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure passed the Water Resources Development Act of 2026 by a vote of 66-0.
The authorizations include $28 million for the City of San Fernando to improve water supply and distribution systems, and $22 million to address flood mitigation, stormwater and wastewater management needs in the east San Fernando Valley.
The bill also includes a study on hydrology and the expansion of recreational opportunities at Hansen Dam, and authorizes the transfer of responsibility for four channels in Rivas’s district from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to Los Angeles County Public Works. The bill now goes to the House floor for a full vote. Authorizations included in the legislation must still have funds appropriated by Congress before implementation.
“I am proud to secure $50 million in federal funding authorizations in this year’s WRDA bill to help the Cities of San Fernando and Los Angeles improve water infrastructure,” said Rivas. “This authorization will support the increased water demands that have been exacerbated by extreme heat, prolonged droughts, and the ongoing climate crisis.”
“While Republicans may be in disarray, I urge them to quickly put this important bill on the House Floor for a vote so San Fernando Valley residents can have the resources and tools they need to access clean and usable water,” the lawmaker added.
Bass stands with immigrant families after three die in federal enforcement
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass last week issued a statement standing with immigrant communities following the deaths of three men — Joan Sebastian Guerrero, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and a young man in Florida — during federal immigration enforcement actions.
Bass reminded Angelenos that LAPD officers and city employees are prohibited from participating in federal immigration enforcement, deportation operations or sharing residents’ personal information with federal immigration authorities except as required by law. She also outlined key rights: ICE cannot enter a home without a judicial warrant signed by a judge, and every Angeleno has the right to remain silent.
“The recent and tragic deaths of Joan Sebastian Guerrero, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, and a young man in Florida during federal immigration enforcement actions have deeply shaken our communities,” said Bass. “My heart is with their families and every Angeleno carrying fear, grief, and uncertainty. No family should ever have to endure this pain. To every immigrant family in Los Angeles: you belong here. You are the heart and soul of this city. Your contributions make Los Angeles stronger. My commitment is clear: I will continue standing with our immigrant communities and using every tool available to protect families and ensure Los Angeles remains a city of dignity, safety, and hope.”
