Congressmembers give surprise visit to Otay Mesa Detention Center for health inspection

Two members of San Diego’s Congressional delegation visited the Otay Mesa Detention Center Thursday to follow up on months of complaints from people held inside.

Reps. Mike Levin and Sara Jacobs, both Democrats, toured the facility for about two-and-a-half hours. They said they spoke at length with medical staff but were unable to meet with detainees themselves, planning to return.

“It’s nowhere where you want to spend a long period of time,” Levin said after the visit.

It came after several other elected officials were previously denied entry into the facility. Rep. Juan Vargas was turned away in early February, then a few weeks later U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla was also denied, alongside two San Diego County Board Supervisors unsuccessfully attempting to take part in a health inspection.

They were all told they did not give the required seven-days’ notice nor received the proper permission. They contended – and after another member of Congress sued, a federal judge agreed – that they did not need it to conduct an oversight visit.

Levin and Jacobs said they did give notice for Thursday’s visit — Levin’s second time in recent months — but believed it may look different if they arrive without any warning.

“We anticipate that any time we’ve arranged a visit in advance that they have prepared for our arrival,” Jacobs said. “Even though we know they clean up when we show up, just the fact that they know that we’re watching, that we’re here and we’re asking questions is important, and we know has led to real changes.”

They said they had heard concerns about detainees being unable to access their medication, dietary restrictions not being accommodated, food being raw or undercooked, among other allegations.

They said they spent “quite a bit of time” with the 13-person medical department, including the doctor who is the director for five facilities in the region run by the private prison company CoreCivic.

“I believe that they’re doing the best that they can with the staff that they have and the circumstances that they find themselves in,” Levin said. He said staff told them more than half of detainees need some sort of medication and in some cases, when their prescription isn’t available, the detainees may decline alternative medications. He said the staff also indicated many of the detainees have not had preventative care and come in with undiagnosed conditions.

Levin said he also sampled the food.

“It was pork and beans and a hot dog,” Levin said. “It’s not going to win any restaurant awards in San Diego, let’s just say that. But the food was, you know, it was relatively fresh and edible for sure.”

Levin and Jacobs said they were unable to speak with detainees but saw several trying to get their attention as they walked by.

“There always seems to be some sort of miscommunication between main DHS and the folks here,” Jacobs said. “They finally offered it right at the very end, when we had ten minutes left, and so we’ve let them know that we will plan on coming back to meet with folks, because we do think it’s really important to hear from the people directly, who are in here, what they’re experiencing.”

They said they planned to return without giving notice in the months ahead.

“We have no idea to the extent they’ve cleaned it up for our visits,” Levin said. “That’s why we’re going to come unannounced, and we’ll see for ourselves what it looks like at that time.”