Adelanto and Otay Mesa Detention Centers During COVID-19

Immigrants held at detention centers such as the Adelanto Detention Center and the Otay Mesa Detention Center live in fear for their lives for being at risk of contracting the Coronavirus due to the tight quarters they find themselves in. Many of them have health issues and do not have access to quality medical resources to protect them if they were to fall ill with COVID-19. 

On May 6, 2020, CBS 8 reported the 1st COVID-19 related death of a detainee at the Otay Mesa Detention Center.  According to NBC Bay Area on May 15, 2020, ICE listed on their website that there are 149 infected detainees at the Otay Mesa Detention Center, the highest known in the country’s sprawling network of immigrant detention facilities.

According to the agency, the Adelanto Detention Center, reported 4 detainees with COVID-19. On May 14, 2020, an employee with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) working at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center tested positive for COVID-19.

To protect the health of immigrant detainees at detention centers nationwide and more specifically the Adelanto Detention Center and the Otay Mesa Detention Center, civil rights organizations such as the Human Right’s Watch, ACLU, and the National Immigrant Justice have pressured ICE and federal judges to release detainees in order to protect their health.

Thanks to their efforts on May 5, 2020, a federal judge ordered immigration officials to immediately reduce the number of detainees at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Desert Sun

Due to the loss of the 57 asylum seeker that died at the Otay Mesa Detention Center due to COVID-19, a San Diego federal judge ordered that a group of “medically vulnerable” detainees at the Otay Mesa Detention Center be screened for release amid the COVID-19 outbreak at the facility (CBS 8).  

We have to continue pressuring ICE agencies and federal judges to continue releasing detainees in order to protect their lives.

How to contact a family member that is detained at the Adelanto or the Otay Mesa Detention Center?

If you have a family member detained at the Adelanto Detention Center this is how you may get in contact with them:

If you need information about a detainee that is housed at this facility, you may call (760) 561-6100 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. When you call, please have the individual’s biographical information ready, including first, last and hyphenated names, any aliases he or she may use, date of birth and country of birth.

If you need to get in touch with a detainee you must call (866) 348-6231 and leave the detainee’s full name, alien registration number and a telephone number where you can be reached. He or she will be given your message.

Detainees cannot receive incoming calls. If you need to get in touch with a detainee to leave an urgent message, you must call (760) 561-6100 and leave the detainee’s full name, alien registration number and your name and telephone number where you can be reached. The detainee will be given your message (Adelanto Website).

If you have a family member detained at the Otay Mesa Detention Center this is how you may get in contact with them:

If you need information about a detainee that is housed at this facility, you may call (619) 671-8700 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. When you call, please have the individual’s biographical information ready, including first, last and hyphenated names, any aliases he or she may use, date of birth and country of birth.

Detainees cannot receive incoming calls. If you need to get in touch with a detainee to leave an urgent message, you must call (619) 671-8724 and leave the detainee’s full name, alien registration number and your name and telephone number where you can be reached. The detainee will be given your message (Otay Mesa Website).

Are you in need of an immigration attorney? 

If you or a loved one has been placed in immigration detention it is imperative that you consult with an immigration attorney as soon as possible. You may reach Franco Law Group at 213.200.1505 to schedule an appointment. Our office hours are Monday-Friday from 10 am to 6 pm.

Our attorneys have experience with detainee cases at the Adelanto and Otay Detention Centers, as well, as out of state detention centers. We have an office located in Los Angeles at 5601 E. Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90022 and in San Diego at 402 West Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101.