SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California State Senate voted 28-7 Tuesday to advance SB 1399, legislation that would permanently expand the California Department of Justice’s authority to inspect and publicly report on conditions inside immigration detention facilities across the state, according to a recent press release from Sen. María Elena Durazo. The bill now moves to the California State Assembly for further consideration.
The legislation, authored by Sen. María Elena Durazo, would remove the current sunset provision established under Assembly Bill 103 in 2017. Existing law requires the California Department of Justice to analyze detention conditions, standards of care and the impact detention conditions have on the due process rights of individuals held in immigration detention facilities. The authority under the law is set to expire July 1, 2027.
SB 1399 would eliminate the expiration date and make the oversight framework permanent, according to the bill provisions.
The bill follows Cal DOJ’s most recent report, the fifth conducted under the current inspection framework. According to that report, conditions inside immigration detention facilities across California have continued to deteriorate over time.
The report documented six detainee deaths between September 2025 and March 2026, the highest number recorded since the beginning of the inspections. According to Cal DOJ findings referenced in the bill materials, inspectors also found insufficient medical staffing, low staffing levels and poor medical care. There have also been reports of ongoing barriers to due process rights for detained individuals.
Sen. María Elena Durazo said, “The Senate’s vote is a statement that California will not look away,” according to her statement following passage of the bill.
Durazo said current law requires Cal DOJ to conduct inspections and report on conditions of confinement and due process impacts, but that requirement is set to expire in 2027. She stated SB 1399 removes the sunset provision and makes the oversight permanent.
Durazo also stated, “Cal DOJ’s reports have documented deaths, inadequate care, and conditions that fail even the federal government’s own standards.” She added that as long as individuals are being detained in California, the public has a right to know what is happening inside those facilities.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta also commented on the findings, according to statements included in the bill documentation.
“Our fifth report on conditions at immigration detention facilities across California demonstrated the ongoing, urgent need for transparency at these facilities,” Bonta said.
Bonta stated that conditions continue to deteriorate with increased detainee populations. According to his statement, that has led to overcrowding in certain areas, as well as understaffing and inadequate medical care and basic necessities.
Bonta also noted that California is currently the only state in the country that inspects and publicly reports on immigration detention conditions. Immigrant advocacy organizations also expressed support for the bill’s provisions.
Hamid Yazdan Panah, advocacy director at Immigrant Defense Advocates, said, “People detained in civil immigration custody deserve basic dignity, due process, and protection from harmful conditions,” according to the organization’s statement.
Yazdan Panah also stated that SB 1399 helps maintain accountability by exposing conditions that would otherwise remain hidden from public view, which, as a result, reinforces the state’s responsibility to immigrant communities.
SB 1399 is also co-sponsored by Attorney General Rob Bonta and Immigrant Defense Advocates. The bill is additionally supported by the California Immigrant Policy Center, UnidosUS, Public Counsel and the County of Santa Clara. It is also backed by several additional organizations, according to coalition support listings.
The bill now moves to the California State Assembly for further debate and consideration.
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