Otay Mesa Detention Center (CoreCivic)
Overview
Otay Mesa Detention Center is a CoreCivic-operated facility near the San Diego-Tijuana border, contracted for 1,358 beds but routinely operating over capacity. San Diego County has sued DHS after being blocked from health inspections, making this a key flashpoint in the sanctuary-vs-federal conflict.
Key Details
- Capacity: 1,358 (contracted)
- Actual population: Averaging 1,456 (Oct-Nov 2025); exceeded 1,600 on multiple days in September 2025
- 82% of detainees have no criminal convictions
- Operator: CoreCivic
- Annual contract value: ~$138M
County Sues DHS (March 2026)
San Diego County supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer and Paloma Aguirre led effort to sue DHS after ICE blocked a public health inspection in February 2026. The county asserts legal authority to inspect. Federal government is fighting access.
Congressional Oversight (April 2026)
Reps. Mike Levin and Sara Jacobs toured the facility April 2, 2026. Levin described conditions as “roughly on par” with civilian facilities but questioned whether what they saw reflected normal operations: “How much of that was for us, versus how much is the standard?”
Conditions Reports
- Detainees report freezing temperatures, untreated medical conditions, food unfit for human consumption
- Families describe “torture and negligence,” severe overcrowding, lack of basic hygiene, spoiled food
- Systemic medical negligence: chronic illnesses untreated, no specialist access