Detainees at ICE Facility Detail Harrowing Conditions of Being Held in Cages 'Just Big Enough For a Chair'

A detainee inside California's Otay Mesa Detention Centre threw a note wrapped around a lotion bottle over the perimeter fence, documenting months without fresh fruit, windowless rooms and persistent illness among those detained. The handwritten plea, which surfaced on Feb. 6, 2026, marks one of at least 14 messages collected by organisers outside the facility. The disclosure prompted US Representative Juan Vargas to attempt an inspection visit, only to be denied entry for the first time in his tenure representing the district that encompasses the detention centre.

Congressional Access Blocked Amid Mounting Allegations

Representative Vargas arrived at the facility on Feb. 6 following constituent complaints about conditions inside. After waiting approximately 30 minutes, warden Christopher J. LaRose told him the decision to deny access came from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, not facility management. Vargas was handed a memorandum from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem requiring seven days' advance notice for congressional visits.

'I'm extremely disappointed,' Vargas told reporters outside the detention centre. He stated he had visited the facility multiple times previously, both announced and unannounced, and had always been granted access. The congressman indicated he believes the denial violates federal law and said he is prepared to pursue legal action.

CoreCivic, the Tennessee-based private prison corporation contracted to operate the facility, issued a statement asserting that 'the safety, health and well-being of the individuals entrusted to our care is our top priority.' The company stated its immigration facilities undergo regular review and audit processes to ensure appropriate standards of care. When questioned about allegations of cages being used for discipline, a CoreCivic spokesman told NBC 7 there is currently no one living or being held in cages at the detention centre.

Former Detainee Provides Direct Testimony

Jesenia Morales, who spent four months at Otay Mesa Detention Centre from June through October 2025, confirmed to NBC 7 that she witnessed the use of small confinement spaces for disciplinary purposes. Speaking in Spanish, Morales stated that when people were being disciplined, staff would place them in small cages just big enough for a chair and keep them sitting there.

Morales described the food as resembling dog food, consisting of items such as hardened mashed potatoes, cold soups, unidentifiable meat and broccoli stems without the tops. She said detainees received no fruit during her detention.

The experience left lasting psychological effects. Morales told reporters that months after her release, she and her husband still experience nightmares, including dreams of being chased, locked up again, or having their children taken away.

The note that reached the outside world provides a detailed account of conditions inside. The writer, identifying himself and his wife as detainees since April 15, 2025, documented that for over 290 days they had not eaten a single piece of fruit, banana, orange, or anything else. The message described cold temperatures, poor food quality and detainees housed in one large room without doors or windows, unable to see grass or trees.

The writer reported constant illness among detainees and claimed their lawyer had not been given access to their phone, preventing proper trial preparation. The note expressed frustration over postponed court dates, with one judge retiring and the final hearing delayed three times. Federal immigration court records confirmed the named detainee has been held at the facility since April 2025 with no hearing scheduled as of early February 2026.

Federal Judge Rules Against Notice Requirement

The denial of Representative Vargas's access occurred days after US District Judge Jia M. Cobb issued a temporary restraining order on Feb. 2, 2026, blocking the Trump administration's seven-day notice requirement for congressional oversight visits to ICE facilities. Judge Cobb found that the policy imposes irreparable harm upon members of Congress by denying them the ability to carry out timely oversight of covered facilities.

The ruling applied to 13 Democratic members of Congress who filed suit challenging the notice requirement. Federal law passed annually since 2019 has prohibited the Department of Homeland Security from using appropriated funds to block lawmakers from conducting unannounced oversight visits. Congress enacted this provision after lawmakers were repeatedly blocked from entering detention facilities during the first Trump administration whilst investigating the family separation policy.

However, Representative Vargas was not among the plaintiffs in that lawsuit, meaning the court order did not apply to his attempted visit. Secretary Noem had issued her memorandum on Jan. 8, 2026, claiming the notice requirement would be funded through reconciliation legislation rather than annual appropriations subject to the congressional oversight restriction.

The Otay Mesa allegations emerge against a backdrop of rising fatalities in ICE custody nationwide. According to multiple reports, 2025 marked the deadliest year for ICE detainees in more than two decades, with 32 deaths reported. As of early February 2026, at least six additional deaths have been publicly confirmed this year.