The Trump administration has taken ownership of two major immigration detention centers in California after paying CoreCivic about $1.47 billion. The purchase comes as a court-appointed monitor identifies serious medical-care failures at one facility.
The Department of Homeland Security completed the deal on July 2. It bought the California City Detention Facility in Kern County and the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego. CoreCivic expects to keep managing both sites for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Two facilities change hands.
CoreCivic completed both facility purchases through sales to the federal government. DHS paid $732.6 million for California City and $739.2 million for Otay Mesa.
California City has 2,560 beds. Otay Mesa has 1,994 beds, giving the two properties a combined design capacity of 4,554. The company expects to receive about $1.1 billion after taxes and transaction expenses. It plans to use part of the money to reduce debt and support other business priorities.
CoreCivic President and CEO Patrick Swindle described the sites as critical facilities for the federal government. He said the transaction strengthened the company’s finances and reflected the value of its property portfolio.
Federal ownership does not immediately change who operates the centers. CoreCivic expects its existing ICE management contracts to continue, although the terms may be revised.
The California City contract expires in August 2027. The Otay Mesa agreement runs through December 2029 and includes a possible five-year extension. ICE can end either contract for convenience or because funding is unavailable.
Monitor details of medical breakdowns.
The newest concerns focus on California City, the state’s largest ICE detention facility. A federal judge appointed Dr. Muthusamy Anandkumar to examine medical treatment after earlier litigation over conditions there.
His July 27 assessment found that the facility failed all eight standards established by the court for a functioning health-care system. Those areas included staffing, intake screenings, emergency services, specialist access, medication delivery, continuity of care and responses to sick-call requests.
The monitor reviewed 141 patient files and thousands of pages of documents. He also interviewed more than 40 patients and over a dozen staff members during a three-day inspection.
He concluded that the center lacked a dependable system for providing adequate care. The deficiencies placed detainees at risk of immediate and long-term harm. The assessment also found that many employees appeared committed to helping patients. However, weak procedures, staffing limits, and inadequate resources prevented consistent treatment.
DHS disputed claims that detainees were denied medical access. It said ICE provides medical appointments and emergency care around the clock and subjects its facilities to outside inspections.
CoreCivic said it was reviewing the findings. The company maintained that detainee health and safety were its highest priorities. It also noted that ICE personnel monitor compliance at the site.
Otay Mesa inspection dispute
The purchase also intersects with a legal fight in San Diego County. County officials tried to inspect Otay Mesa under a California law covering privately operated detention facilities. They sued DHS, ICE and CoreCivic after inspectors and county supervisors were denied full access in February.
On June 3, a federal judge ordered a county inspection and required CoreCivic to provide requested policies and procedures. The inspection had to occur by June 17. County Counsel Damon Brown said local authorities were responsible for protecting the health and safety of everyone within their jurisdiction, including detained immigrants.
California enacted Senate Bill 1132 in 2024. The law expanded local inspection authority over health and sanitary conditions at privately operated detention facilities. The law allows local health officers to investigate conditions when necessary. It does not require them to conduct inspections every year.
Federal ownership may create a new dispute over whether that authority still applies. The statute focuses on private facilities, but no final ruling in the available material eliminates state or county oversight after a federal purchase.
Immigration advocates argue that government ownership could make local inspections harder. DHS says the acquisitions protect detention capacity needed for immigration arrests, detention and removals.
Donation adds political scrutiny.
CoreCivic donated $500,000 to the inauguration before President Donald Trump began his second term.
The contribution and later property sales have prompted criticism from immigration advocates and administration opponents. No public evidence in the available material proves the donation influenced the purchases, their timing or their prices.
The distinction matters because CoreCivic remains a federal contractor after selling the buildings. Taxpayers now own the properties while the company continues receiving payment to operate them under ICE agreements.
CoreCivic has also discussed possible sales of additional detention facilities to ICE. The company has not guaranteed that more transactions will occur.
Federal courts continue supervising medical conditions at California City. CoreCivic’s management contracts remain active, and the legal effect of federal ownership on California’s inspection powers has not been resolved.
