Story perspectives

162% ICE Rise, Six Deaths Spur Bonta Inspection Push

5/16/2026

Summary

Story summary

The DOJ report documented a 162% rise in California Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainee population since 2023, from 2,303 to 6,028.
Attorney General Rob Bonta’s fifth inspection labeled conditions at seven California ICE detention centers cruel and inhumane and recorded six detainee deaths between September 2025 and March 2026.
Bonta urged extending the inspection authority beyond 2027 despite private operators GEO Group, CoreCivic and MTC claiming compliance with ICE standards.

History

Historical Context

In 1996 President Bill Clinton signed the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, expanding ICE’s detention authority and creating the 287(g) program that lets local prisons assist ICE. The law led to over 402,000 immigrants being identified for deportation through 287(g) between 2006 and 2015, a trend highlighted by California AG Rob Bonta’s 2025-26 inspection of seven private ICE centers.

1 of 2

Story summary

The DOJ report documented a 162% rise in California Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainee population since 2023, from 2,303 to 6,028.
Attorney General Rob Bonta’s fifth inspection labeled conditions at seven California ICE detention centers cruel and inhumane and recorded six detainee deaths between September 2025 and March 2026.
Bonta urged extending the inspection authority beyond 2027 despite private operators GEO Group, CoreCivic and MTC claiming compliance with ICE standards.

1 / 2