CALIFORNIA CITY, Calif. (KERO) — California City residents are refusing to give up hope that they can put a stop to an ICE detention center's operations, demanding transparency from local officials about the facility's permits and legal status.
Marcela Hernandez with the activist group Detention Watch Network says she and many others believe CoreCivic, the private prison company operating the ICE facility, is doing so illegally and without the necessary operating permits.
"So we're asking the city council to take a stand with the community. We are already hearing about the horrible conditions that folks are experiencing inside," Hernandez said.
Hernandez says she has continually asked city council and the city planning commission for answers.
"We've been asking for all the information through PRAs and have not been given the information, or very limited information. So we know that at that point, some kind of permit was not approved," Hernandez said.
City council and the planning commission have repeatedly communicated to the public that they have no power over CoreCivic or the ICE facility, saying the company is contracted with the federal government.
"And they were pretty upfront that they have no power to do anything and that all of our questions needed to be aimed elsewhere, and when we asked where, no one can really give you a straight answer to where," said Catie Laffoon.
I reached out to the California City city manager asking for information regarding CoreCivic's operating permits. As of news time, I have not received a response.
What the city's residents perceive as a lack of transparency is only adding fuel to their frustrations.
"You must understand if the community questions their trust in local leadership, when their city council allows an institution to open that may be breaking state law to do so," one resident said during a city council meeting.
"So if you can give some answers to us, the public citizens, what can we do? What can we do to help you prevent this detention center from coming?" another resident said.
"We urge the council to demand answers and investigate whether the state's largest immigration detention center is operating illegally in your city," a third resident said.
Residents have made it clear they want accountability, transparency and trust in local government.
And until they get answers, they say they're not backing down.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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