California’s largest federal immigration detention facility has reopened in Kern County and is already receiving detainees, according to CoreCivic, the private prison operator managing the site. The California City Immigration Processing Center, a 2,560-bed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility, resumed operations after more than a year of closure.
“We have begun receiving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees at our California City Correctional Facility (CCCF) in response to an immediate need from the federal government for safe, humane and appropriate housing and care for these individuals,” said Ryan Gustin, senior director for public affairs for CoreCivic.
The facility is now the third privately operated ICE detention center in Kern County and the seventh in California. First opened in the late 1990s as a federal prison, it later became a state facility before shutting down in 2024 when California ended contracts with for-profit prisons. CoreCivic said the reopening will create about 500 jobs and bring more than $2 million in property taxes to California City.
Still, the reopening sparked legal and community concerns. Under California law SB29, detention facilities must provide a 180-day public notice before opening or reusing a site. City officials, including Mayor Marquette Hawkins and City Manager Christopher Lopez, declined to comment on long-term agreements with ICE. Lopez said he had “no information” on contracts between the city and federal authorities.
Community advocates voiced opposition at a June 24 city council meeting, warning that reopening the facility could trigger more local ICE arrests.
Nora Zaragoza-Yáñez, manager of the nonprofit Faith in the Valley, said, “We’re troubled by California City turning a deaf ear to the objections voiced by community members and advocates voiced at previous meetings.”
Faith in the Valley estimates about 300 detainees have already been quietly transferred from Golden State Annex and Mesa Verde. Meanwhile, city officials raised safety concerns in a July 29 letter to CoreCivic, citing issues with emergency communications and building codes. Gustin said the company resolved these concerns and continues to keep “an open line of communication” with city leaders.
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