Hi friends,

Last week I visited the Otay Mesa Detention Center to do oversight of how the Department of Homeland Security is housing immigration detainees there. Here’s what I saw:

At the facility, I spoke with folks from ICE and representatives from CoreCivic – the private company that runs the center – and I asked a lot of questions.

Importantly, I was able to bring up medical, legal, and language access issues and push for answers because of everyone in the community who reached out and shared what they’ve seen and heard. I’m grateful to all the folks who’ve been calling and emailing my office – thank you!

Overall, the transparency level that they gave us was sufficient – but let’s be real, we all know these facilities prepare for visits like mine. They clean up. They rehearse. And they think about what we want to hear. That’s why all of you sharing your stories is so important – so I can see past the PR and spin and know what’s really going on.

I’m going to continue showing up, and continue asking hard questions – not just because it’s my job (which it is – conducting oversight is a responsibility of Members of Congress), but because our community deserves transparency, accountability, and dignity. ICE promised answers to my questions and concerns, and I’m going to hold them to it.

Our community deserves to know what is being done in our name. Because I don’t believe that what the Trump Administration is doing on immigration is making us safer – in fact, it’s making us less safe. Most of the people held at Otay Mesa are there because of civil violations and not violent crimes – meanwhile, they are detained by ICE agents in riot gear while at work or arrested when they’re showing up as asked at their immigration court hearings.

So while I keep pushing back, I ask that you keep it up, too. Keep showing up for your neighbors and speaking out against injustices – that’s how we actually make a difference right now.

Thanks for reading.

-Sara