ICE Extends Evaluation of Adelanto Detention Center Amid Union Opposition

The largely empty facility, which can house nearly 2,000 inmates, is at the center of an ongoing debate about the detention of illegal immigrants.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has extended the evaluation of the Adelanto detention center in California, which has been largely empty since a COVID-related court order in 2020.
The facility, which can house nearly 2,000 inmates, was expected to close in December, but ICE launched a 60-day task order to evaluate the effect of ongoing litigation, the costs of maintenance and the operational requirements.
ICE has now announced a new 120-day task order with the GEO Group, which runs the facility, extending the evaluation period beyond the current 60-day task order that was set to expire on Feb. 19.
Labor unions, including the Teamsters and the National Federation of Federal Employees, are opposing the potential closure of the facility, citing job losses and the need for detention space.
The fate of the facility is part of an ongoing debate about the detention of illegal immigrants, with some Republicans calling for the facility to be fully reopened and the Biden administration moving away from the use of private detention facilities.