Deficiencies and poor oversight at Bakersfield ICE detention center cited in two state reports

Multiple inadequacies and a lack of oversight at the Mesa Verde ICE Detention Facility in Bakersfield were found by state agencies and detailed in two reports released Feb. 26.

Both the California State Auditor and the Attorney General investigated the 10 detention facilities in the state that house immigrants for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The agencies reported that local governments had fallen short of their oversight responsibilities, and detainees experienced prolonged periods of confinement without breaks and difficulties with access to medical care.