To increase capacity, ICE contracts with private companies to purchase large-scale detention centers that can hold up to 10,000 people.
According to a document released earlier this year, there will be 92,600 detention center beds by the end of fiscal year 2026.
Despite the rapid growth, DHS said it has not seen a decline in health and safety standards at its detention centers.
“As we rapidly expand our bed space, we maintain a higher standard of care than most prisons housing Americans, including providing access to appropriate medical care,” the spokesperson said.
“For many illegal aliens, this is the best medical care they have received in their entire lives.”
The Ramos family disputes that.
Ramos was arrested on February 23 as part of an immigration operation in Torrance, California. He was taken to the Adelanto ICE processing center northeast of Los Angeles.
ICE records confirm that Ramos’ health conditions, including diabetes and high blood pressure, were noted upon arrival. Before being detained, he was taking daily medication to treat his symptoms.
But critics of ICE facilities warn that conditions inside detention centers are life-threateningly harsh. A lawsuit filed in January described mold on Adelanto’s walls, inadequate medical care and “rampant” disease.
Jesús Arias, the Ramos family’s attorney, believes environment contributed to Jose’s death.
“He had two illnesses that a lot of people in the United States have,” Arias said. “But even people with normal conditions that require regular care, such as diabetes, are at risk because their condition is shocking in Adelanto.”
Tovar herself remembers Ramos warning her about life inside Adelanto. He told her that his clothes smelled like they hadn’t been washed properly. And his diet was meager.
During the month he was in detention, his family sent money so they could order food to keep him fed.
“He says he felt like an animal, a dog. He was all alone,” Tovar said.
