Two of San Diego’s Congressional representatives visited the Otay Mesa Detention Center Thursday. Their offices have received complaints about access to medical care and fresh food.
Reps. Sara Jacobs, D-San Diego, and Mike Levin, D-Oceanside, said they visited a holding area, medical facilities, law library and chapel.
Levin said it’s hard to know whether what they saw on Thursday reflects day-to-day conditions at the facility, which is run by private prison operator CoreCivic.
“How much of that was for us, versus how much is the standard, ordinary course of how they conduct business day in and day out?” he said. “That's why it's important that in addition to the tours that we just took, which we had announced in advance, that we come unannounced.”
California Sen. Alex Padilla was denied access to the detention center during an unannounced visit in February.
San Diego County Supervisors Paloma Aguirre and Terra Lawson-Remer also tried to inspect the facility the same day as Padilla but were also denied. The County sued the Department of Homeland Security this month, saying California law allows counties to conduct public health inspections at private detention centers.
On Thursday, Levin described the medical facility and its cleanliness as being “roughly on par” with civilian facilities.
“I believe that they're doing the best that they can with the staff that they have in the circumstances that they find themselves in,” he said.
The Department of Homeland Security says detention facilities provide medical intake screenings and access to 24-hour emergency care.
Levin said detention center staff told him that if someone misses three doses of medication, staff follow up with them.
“There really is an attempt to follow up and ensure that they are taking the medication that's needed,” he said. “Although, again, this is what we're all hearing.”
Levin has conducted a congressional oversight visit at the facility before. He said he spoke to a detainee last time he was there.
“He was getting the medication that he needed,” Levin said. “He said the food was not great, but it also was edible. You know, eating the same thing over and over again is not going to be the best.”
Levin and Jacobs also sampled the food at the facility’s cafeteria. Levin said it was pork and beans and a hot dog, and “it was relatively fresh and edible.”
Jacobs said her office had requested to speak with detainees during the visit, but that a miscommunication between federal officials and the facility meant it didn’t happen on schedule.
“They finally offered it right at the very end, when we had ten minutes left,” she said. “So we've let them know that we will plan on coming back to meet with folks, because we do think it's really important to hear from the people directly who are in here, what they're experiencing.”
Jacobs and Levin said they plan to conduct unannounced oversight visits in the coming months.
