There's a health crisis at two ICE detention centers: reports of a scabies outbreak in McFarland and the Attorney General’s stark warning about dangerous conditions in California City.
A few days ago, 23ABC received a tip from a concerned spouse that her husband was living in questionable circumstances at the Golden State Annex Facility in McFarland. She was worried about a reported outbreak of scabies.
We reached out to the Kern County Public Health Department about this. A spokesperson replied by email, saying:
"We are aware of several cases of scabies at Golden State Annex. As part of standard public health practice, our department is collaborating closely with the facility’s medical staff to provide requested support and guidance to help prevent further transmission."
We also reached out to ICE and the GEO group for comment, but have not heard back as of news time.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, scabies is a highly contagious skin condition caused by tiny mites that burrow into the skin. It causes intense itching and a rash and can spread quickly in crowded conditions, with outbreaks typically being reported in places where people live in close quarters, including detention centers.
However, Golden State Annex isn’t the only facility facing questions. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, writing a letter on Friday to the Department of Homeland Security stating that the Core Civic detention facility in California City opened too early and now does not have adequate resources and poses safety concerns to detainees.
In the letter, the Attorney General states four major problems with the facility.
Along with not being prepared to handle the needs of the center, it’s deemed that there are unsafe and unsanitary living conditions, healthcare is inadequate — endangering detainees and that core civic is violating the code of conduct.
A statement from Bonta reads in part quote, “Everyone has a right to dignity, safety, and respect. Unfortunately, because of the President’s inhumane mass deportation agenda, many of these concerns have come to pass. I implore DHS to take action to address these serious issues.”
At least one community group is taking action on this. It is asking the County Board of Supervisors to inspect the ICE Detention Center based on what it says are very serious health issues.
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