California City Processing is for US Immigration & Customs Enforcement-ICE offenders have not been sentenced yet and are detained here until their case is heard.
All prisons and jails have Security or Custody levels depending on the inmate’s classification, sentence, and criminal history. Please review the rules and regulations for Medium facility.
The phone carrier is Viapath Technologies, to see their rates and best-calling plans for your inmate to call you.
If you are unsure of your inmate's location, you can search and locate your inmate by typing in their last name, first name or first initial, and/or the offender ID number to get their accurate information immediately Registered Offenders
California City Processing is an immigration detention facility in California City, CA. Detainees are held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement while their immigration cases are processed, including hearings, deportation proceedings, or asylum claims. To locate a detainee, use the ICE Online Detainee Locator System at locator.ice.gov with the detainee's A-Number or full name and country of birth.
To find an ICE inmate, please use the Detainee Locator System with the A-Number search being the most efficient method. The A-number must be exactly nine digits; if shorter, zeros should be added at the beginning. When searching by name, the first and last names must be entered as an exact match, and the detainee's correct country of birth must be selected. Please note that records of individuals under 18 cannot be searched.
Detainees at this facility are assigned to housing based on their custody level, determined by various factors including sentence length and criminal history. The detention center provides a wide range of educational and vocational training programs. Additionally, the facility is equipped to meet most detainee needs, including dietary, health, fitness, education, religious practices, and entertainment. As a privately operated facility, it undergoes frequent inspections to ensure it remains in top condition, maintaining a clean record to secure ongoing government contracts.
The California City Immigration Processing Center in California City, California, is the largest ICE detention facility currently operating in the state. Operated by CoreCivic under contract with the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the facility houses adult ICE detainees awaiting immigration hearings, asylum proceedings, deportation actions, or transfer within the federal detention system. Located in Kern County in California’s Mojave Desert region, the detention center reopened in 2025 after previously operating as a state prison facility. Public ICE and detention records identify the facility as having an operational capacity of approximately 2,560 detainee beds. The facility is currently overseen by Warden Christopher Chestnut, a longtime CoreCivic corrections administrator appointed after the facility transitioned into immigration detention operations.
The detention center was reactivated during a major national expansion of ICE detention capacity and quickly became a central hub for immigration enforcement operations throughout California and the western United States. The sprawling facility contains secure housing units, medical and mental health clinics, intake and booking sections, legal visitation rooms, transportation staging areas, recreation yards, dining facilities, and administrative offices supporting around-the-clock detention operations. ICE detainees housed at California City include individuals transferred from border facilities, county jails, and enforcement operations across multiple states. By early 2026, reports indicated the detainee population had already exceeded 1,400 individuals as ICE detention numbers surged nationwide.
Today, the California City Immigration Processing Center operates under an estimated $130 million contract between ICE and CoreCivic. With a rated capacity of 2,560 beds, it is currently the largest ICE detention facility operating in California. The sheer scale of the institution, combined with its rapid reopening and ongoing legal disputes, has transformed the facility into one of the most politically controversial detention centers in the state.
ICE Detainee Information
This facility holds immigration detainees under an active contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in addition to its regular population. ICE detainees are civil immigration detainees, not criminal defendants, and are held while their immigration cases are processed. The rules, rights, and services that apply to ICE detainees differ from those that apply to the general jail population.
To locate an ICE detainee at this facility, use the ICE Online Detainee Locator at locator.ice.gov. You will need the detainee's A-Number, a nine-digit Alien Registration Number that appears on any immigration document they have received. If the A-Number has fewer than nine digits, add zeros at the beginning. If you do not have the A-Number, you can search using the detainee's full legal name, country of birth, and date of birth. Names must be an exact match; try variations if the first search returns no results.
Immigration bond works differently from criminal bail. Not all detainees are eligible for bond; those with certain criminal convictions or prior deportation orders may be subject to mandatory detention. For those who are eligible, bond is set by an immigration judge and typically ranges from $1,500 to over $10,000. Bond must be paid in full before release. An immigration attorney can request a bond hearing and argue for a lower amount based on the detainee's circumstances.
Unlike criminal defendants, ICE detainees do not have the right to a government-appointed attorney. They must hire a private immigration attorney or find free legal help through a nonprofit organization. RAICES provides legal services and bond assistance at raicestexas.org. The National Immigrant Justice Center offers free legal representation at immigrantjustice.org. Many immigration courts also maintain a list of free and low-cost legal service providers available to detainees upon request.
ICE transfers detainees between facilities frequently and with little advance notice, sometimes to locations far from family and legal counsel. If you cannot locate your family member through this page, search the ICE Online Detainee Locator again at locator.ice.gov with their A-Number. If they have an attorney, notify the attorney immediately as transfers affect court appearances and case timelines.
The center houses both male and female immigration detainees. As of October 2025, approximately 746 individuals were being held at the facility, including 595 male detainees and 151 female detainees. Although the population remains below full operational capacity, immigration advocates, civil rights organizations, local officials, and federal lawmakers continue monitoring conditions inside the institution closely.
The California City facility has undergone several operational transformations over the years, reflecting California’s evolving correctional and immigration detention landscape.
Before becoming an ICE detention center, the site functioned as a California state prison operated under the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The prison served as part of California’s massive correctional infrastructure for years before eventually closing in early 2024 during statewide prison population reductions and budget restructuring efforts.
The closure created uncertainty for California City, a desert community that has long depended heavily on correctional employment and government-related operations. Much like other rural prison towns throughout the western United States, California City’s economy became deeply connected to detention and incarceration infrastructure over several decades.
Federal immigration authorities quickly identified the empty prison complex as an opportunity to expand detention capacity. In late August 2024, the site officially reopened as the California City Immigration Processing Center under CoreCivic management.
The transition from state prison to immigration detention center happened rapidly. Existing correctional infrastructure, including perimeter fencing, housing units, intake areas, medical sections, kitchens, visitation areas, and administrative offices, allowed the federal government to activate the facility far faster than constructing an entirely new detention center from the ground up.
However, the speed of the reopening also contributed to many of the legal and operational disputes that would emerge during the facility’s first full year of operation.
The facility is currently led by Warden Christopher Chestnut, who was appointed to the position in June 2025.
Chestnut brings more than 27 years of correctional experience with CoreCivic. Before arriving at California City, he served as the warden of the Nevada Southern Detention Facility and previously held leadership roles at the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center, including assistant warden responsibilities.
His appointment came during a period of escalating scrutiny surrounding operations at CCIPC. As legal challenges mounted and media attention intensified, CoreCivic leadership emphasized Chestnut’s experience managing large-scale detention operations and navigating complex federal oversight requirements.
Publicly, Chestnut has defended the facility against allegations involving unsafe or inhumane conditions. He has repeatedly pointed to ongoing federal inspections, ICE monitoring, and regular audits as evidence that the detention center operates within required federal standards.
Chestnut’s management philosophy centers on what he describes as “safe, humane and respectful care.” CoreCivic leadership has argued that many public allegations surrounding the facility fail to reflect the operational realities inside the institution or the extensive federal oversight already in place.
Despite those statements, advocacy groups and detainee attorneys continue challenging conditions inside the facility through litigation and public pressure campaigns.
The California City Immigration Processing Center operates as a large-scale civil immigration detention facility rather than a traditional criminal prison.
Unlike state or federal prisons that house convicted offenders serving criminal sentences, ICE detention centers generally hold individuals awaiting immigration hearings, deportation proceedings, asylum decisions, or immigration-related court actions. Some detainees remain in custody for relatively short periods, while others can spend months inside detention awaiting case resolution.
The facility’s operational scale is enormous. With 2,560 beds, CCIPC exceeds the size of most county jail systems in California and dwarfs many smaller regional detention centers across the western United States.
Housing operations include separate units for male and female detainees. Intake procedures involve identification processing, health screening, classification assessments, property inventory, and housing assignments.
The institution contains multiple housing pods, medical units, administrative offices, recreation areas, dining facilities, visitation sections, attorney meeting spaces, and secure transportation zones. Given the desert climate of Kern County, climate control infrastructure and water management systems remain critically important operational concerns year-round.
Security operations rely heavily on controlled movement schedules, surveillance systems, perimeter fencing, electronic monitoring systems, correctional staffing, and ICE compliance protocols.
Although ICE detention facilities are technically civil detention environments rather than criminal incarceration institutions, operational conditions inside many large immigration detention centers closely resemble traditional correctional settings.
As of October 2025, the California City Immigration Processing Center housed approximately 746 detainees.
The population included 595 male detainees and 151 female detainees, well below the facility’s maximum rated capacity of 2,560 beds. Federal officials have maintained the lower population levels while operational systems continue stabilizing after the facility’s reopening.
Detainees housed at the center represent a broad range of immigration circumstances. Some individuals are recent border-crossing detainees awaiting immigration proceedings, while others may have lived in the United States for years before entering ICE custody during enforcement operations.
Many detainees are awaiting asylum hearings, deportation proceedings, bond determinations, or immigration court decisions. The length of detention varies dramatically depending on individual case circumstances, court scheduling, legal representation availability, and immigration status complexity.
Advocacy organizations have repeatedly argued that prolonged detention creates significant psychological strain for detainees, particularly when access to legal services, medical care, or family communication becomes limited.
The facility’s isolated desert location also creates logistical difficulties for families and immigration attorneys attempting to maintain regular visitation or legal access.
