As of late June, an analysis by CBS News revealed that fifteen out of 45 immigration detention centers accommodating 500 or more individuals had not undergone inspections for over a year, while five facilities lacked any inspection records altogether.
This situation arises from a change in the inspection protocols of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which transitioned from biannual inspections of most facilities to conducting them annually or biennially. Experts in immigration custody have criticized this alteration, stating that it undermines an already inadequate oversight system.
Dr. Annette Decker, an assistant professor at UCLA’s medical school who has researched health outcomes for immigration detainees, emphasized the importance of regular assessments. “Many facilities exhibit deficiencies, and consistent evaluations are necessary to ensure these issues are addressed,” she stated. Decker co-authored a paper advocating for inspection reforms published in 2024. She expressed concern over the reduced frequency of inspections, noting, “A significant gap between evaluations raises alarms about whether healthcare and other conditions are being adequately met.”
Concerns regarding the conditions within detention centers have escalated, particularly as the Trump administration’s strict deportation policies have led to a surge in the detention population. The mortality rate in ICE custody reached its highest level since 2020 last year. In May, a hunger strike at Delaney Hall in New Jersey was prompted by complaints of spoiled food and inadequate medical care, leading to protests outside the facility. Additionally, a recent government review revealed hazardous conditions at ICE’s largest facility, Camp East Montana in El Paso.
ICE’s inspections have uncovered deficiencies in nearly 90% of their evaluations since 2019. Issues ranged from inadequate suicide checks to improper food storage and failure to appropriately document incidents, as noted in CBS News’ analysis.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defended the revised inspection policy, explaining to CBS News that “the frequency of inspections is determined by the type of facility, its detention capacity, and its operational role.” The spokesperson also claimed that “ICE has a comprehensive, multi-layered compliance program aimed at maintaining adherence to ICE’s detention standards.”
In response to a 2018 report from a DHS watchdog highlighting insufficient inspection frequency by the ICE Office of Detention Oversight (ODO), Congress allocated additional funding to mandate biannual inspections by the end of fiscal year 2021. However, last year, ICE altered its approach to conduct annual inspections for dedicated facilities—those exclusively housing ICE detainees—and biennial inspections for non-dedicated facilities like county jails. The new policy also introduced “assisted self-inspections” for non-dedicated facilities that hold fewer than 50 detainees, some of which had not been inspected regularly before.
Tom Homan, who oversees border security, informed sheriffs in February 2025 that the administration intended to decrease the number of federal inspections to encourage local law enforcement to utilize their jails for detention purposes. By April of this year, the number of facilities detaining ICE individuals had risen to 203, compared to 104 in February.
A DHS representative highlighted that the new inspection framework enables ICE to “distribute oversight resources based on the type of facility and its operational complexity.” They assured that all dedicated ICE facilities, “regardless of their population size,” are scheduled for inspection before the end of the fiscal year on September 30. Under the revised policy, smaller or non-dedicated facilities with limited detainee populations and shorter detention durations will receive inspections every other year.
Notably, certain non-dedicated facilities house just as many detainees as dedicated ones. According to ICE data, five of these facilities maintain an average of over 500 detainees.
The budget measure approved in April allocated $20 million for inspections of immigration detention centers to be conducted by the Inspector General of DHS, responsible for oversight across the department. However, the recent funding measure for ICE and Customs and Border Protection did not include stipulations for ODO inspections.
A review by the Government Accountability Office indicated that even when ODO conducted semiannual inspections, it lacked a mechanism to assess the effectiveness of its inspection program in safeguarding detainees’ health and safety. Critics assert that the program has not been effective.
Dr. Decker remarked, “Facilities often receive citations for deficiencies without facing any consequences.” ODO designates areas of noncompliance as deficiencies, and while ICE is mandated to terminate a facility’s contract after two consecutive failures, many facilities have accrued significant deficiencies without failing an inspection, as highlighted in CBS News’ analysis.
An example is the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia, which is a dedicated facility housing around 2,000 individuals. In its last inspection in March 2025, it received a rating of “acceptable/adequate,” despite inspectors identifying 12 deficiencies, including two major issues related to suicide prevention. Tragically, since then, two detainees have taken their lives, one in June and another in April, as reported by the county coroner.
The DHS spokesperson countered claims that ICE does not hold facilities accountable, stating that “ICE collaborates closely with the relevant field office and facility operator to rectify identified deficiencies and ensure compliance with ICE detention standards.”
Since 2019, inspections have generally reported fewer deficiencies each year. This trend continued into 2025; however, early indicators for this year show an increase in the number of deficiencies identified during inspections of larger facilities.
