MCFARLAND, Calif. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has opened a new detention facility in California’s Central Valley, raising the total number of immigration detention centers in the state to eight, according to an April 23 CalMatters report.
The facility, known as the Central Valley Annex, is located in McFarland and is operated by the private prison company GEO Group. It has a capacity of approximately 700 beds, and advocates say detainees began arriving at the site last week.
The opening of the new center reflects a broader expansion of immigration detention in California. At the beginning of 2025, there were six active ICE detention facilities in the state. That number has since grown, with the two new centers opening in former state prison sites.
Private companies operate all eight facilities and together have the capacity to hold nearly 10,000 individuals. Recent data shows that the number of people detained in California has increased significantly, with an average daily population of more than 5,300 individuals, up from about 3,100 in April 2025.
The Central Valley Annex is located near another GEO-operated facility, the Golden State Annex, which already houses hundreds of detainees. The concentration of detention centers in Kern County has drawn attention from advocates who have raised concerns about the rapid expansion.
Some advocates say the facility began operating without sufficient public input. It remains unclear whether the city of McFarland issued the necessary permits or held public hearings before the facility’s use for immigration detention, as required under California law.
Under state law, local governments are generally required to provide advance notice and hold public hearings before approving the use of facilities for immigration detention. Advocates argue that those processes were not fully followed in this case.
ICE officials stated that the facility opened under an existing agreement that had been in place for several years and confirmed that detainees had begun to be housed at the site within the last two weeks.
The expansion of detention capacity comes as the federal government increases immigration enforcement efforts. Nationwide, the number of individuals held in ICE detention has grown significantly, with federal officials aiming to detain more than 100,000 individuals on any given day.
This increase follows the passage of a federal spending measure that allocated tens of billions of dollars toward immigration enforcement and detention operations.
The use of former state prisons for immigration detention has also drawn scrutiny. California had previously taken steps to phase out private prison contracts, but those same facilities are now being repurposed for federal detention use.
Legal challenges have shaped the current landscape. In 2019, California lawmakers passed legislation intended to prevent private prisons from being used for immigration detention. However, a federal court later ruled that the law was unconstitutional, allowing federal contracts with private operators to move forward.
The GEO Group secured long-term federal contracts prior to the law taking effect, including agreements worth billions of dollars for facilities in McFarland and other locations.
Local officials in McFarland have previously cited the financial impact of these facilities. Revenue from property taxes and utility payments associated with detention centers has been described as an important source of funding for municipal services.
However, advocates for detained immigrants have raised ongoing concerns about conditions inside similar facilities. Reports from other detention centers in the region have included allegations of inadequate medical care, poor living conditions and the use of solitary confinement.
Advocacy groups argue that individuals held in the new Central Valley Annex may face similar conditions. They have called for greater oversight and transparency regarding the treatment of detainees.
Representatives of GEO Group have previously denied such allegations, stating that their facilities meet required standards and are subject to oversight from accrediting organizations.
State officials have also examined conditions within detention centers. A report from the California Attorney General’s Office raised concerns about health care and oversight in immigration detention facilities, adding to ongoing debates about their operation.
The opening of the Central Valley Annex highlights the continuing expansion of immigration detention infrastructure in California and across the United States. It also reflects the complex legal and political tensions between federal immigration enforcement policies and state-level efforts to regulate detention practices.
As the number of detainees grows and new facilities come online, questions remain about oversight, conditions and the long-term role of private companies in the immigration detention system.
Follow the Vanguard on Social Media – X, Instagram and Facebook. Subscribe the Vanguard News letters. To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit davisvanguard.org/donate or give directly through ActBlue. Your support will ensure that the vital work of the Vanguard continues.
