The American Civil Liberties Union, Precision Law Office, and California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice (CCIJ) filed a motion for a temporary restraining order on December 16 for two detainees at the Core Civic Detention Center in California City, for two detainees who are not receiving proper medical care.
According to Tess Borden, Supervising Staff Attorney at Prison Law Office, when the Core Civic detention center opened, it became clear that they were not ready to safely house people at the facility or provide adequate access to medical care or lawyers. On November 12, they filed a federal lawsuit alleging constitutional and statutory violations.
“We brought this lawsuit because the conditions there are so punishing, because the medical care and disability accommodations are so inadequate, and because people are being deprived of their lawyers,” said Borden.
The initial lawsuit discusses many stories of detainees receiving inadequate care, and two of the stories told are the plaintiffs for the temporary restraining order filed. In the lawsuit, they attached 25 declarations of firsthand accounts from detainees in the center, declarations from lawyers, and expert declarations, one from a custody expert and one from a doctor. The hearing for this motion is January 30th.
In the preliminary injunction, and when they spoke to the government’s lawyers, they flagged two men and stated that they needed to receive care immediately because, so far, their care had been inadequate and dangerous.
“Despite being put on notice by our lawsuit in November by the preliminary junction motion and our conversation, and despite being put on notice by the medical record,” said Borden. “ICE still hasn’t provided the medical care they need,” Borden stated that this is why they filed the motion.
In the motion, they ask the federal government to require ICE to get both men to the specialists they needed to see three months ago.
On Wednesday, they had a scheduling conference with the judge, where the judge set deadlines. She asked the government to see what they can do and if they can get these men the care they need, and let her know by Monday afternoon. If not, the government has to file an opposition to our motion by 4 p.m. on Monday, and there will be a hearing in the San Francisco Federal Courthouse on Tuesday at 10:00 a.m.
The plaintiffs are Yuri Alexander Roque Campos and Fernando Viera Reyes, both of whom are suffering from a serious medical condition. Roque Campos is 30 years old and has been diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension, congestive heart failure, right atrial enlargement, and a
right bundle branch block, which requires him to receive regular treatment, according to Dr. Todd Randall Wilcox, who provided an expert opinion in the motion. The declaration from Wilcox states he is at risk of sudden cardiac arrest and death.
“He must therefore live every day in fear that it may be his last, even though his condition could be managed with appropriate care,” stated the motion.
On September 5, he was sent to the emergency room. He returned with a referral to see a specialist for heart failure within 72 hours, in order for it to be safe for him to be sent back to the center. As of December 12, the medical records still did not indicate he had received the care required.
In a declaration, Campos wrote that he has had a heart condition since he was a child, and prior to being detained, he had seen a specialist in Merced and was referred to a cardiologist at Stanford.
“I had been scheduled for an appointment at Stanford in July, but then I was detained,” wrote Campos.
He stated that he can no longer walk around the yard for more than 20 minutes before he has to rest, and he has sent multiple sick requests, yet he still has not been able to see a cardiologist and does not believe the detention center has any plans to get him an appointment.
“I am very scared about what will happen to me if I cannot get the medical care that I need while I am locked up at California City. I am afraid that I might die here because California City won’t provide me with the necessary medical care,” said Campos.
Viera Reyes is 50 years old, and he is suffering from severe pain. At Golden State Annex, his blood tests showed elevated prostate-specific antigen (“PSA”) levels, which, along with his pain and other symptoms, including seeing blood in his urine, may be metastatic prostate cancer, according to Wilcox.
“However, despite his consistently elevated PSA levels, Mr. Viera Reyes has not received appropriate testing and follow-up care at California City. His levels have continued to increase rapidly and dramatically. The rate by which his PSA is increasing, in combination with the actual PSA level, points to a high likelihood that he has cancer,” said Willcox in his declaration about the state of Viera Reyes health.
In January, his PSA level was 6.3; on October 1, 2025, it was 74. Wilcox stated in his declaration that this is “vastly” beyond the level of concern and added that a value of 10 increases the risk for cancer and calls for a prostate biopsy. In March of 2025, a urologist recommended a biopsy, and according to a declaration from Viera Reyes, Golden State Annex told him a biopsy was ordered. However, he was sent to Core Civic on August 29. As of December 12, the biopsy had still not been completed. According to the declaration, when he was switched to Core Civic, he received a referral in October to see a urologist by January of 2026; however, it is not clear if it will be for a biopsy or an initial consultation.
“Since late 2024, I have had symptoms of burning with urination and an inability to empty my bladder. It has only gotten worse, even with the Flomax. It is painful to use the restroom, and I go frequently. A few weeks before my arrival to California City, I began to experience bleeding with Urination,” said Viera Reyes. He had been prescribed Flomax at Golden State Annex.
Viera Reyes stated he has also sent multiple sick-call slips due to seeing blood in both his urine and stool. He is in constant pulsing pain and spends most of his time sitting or lying down because he feels weak.
He has not been able to manage his pain because the nurses are inconsistent with the medication they provide. He stated that sometimes he gets around twenty Tylenol or Ibuprofen to take until he runs out, but some nurses just give him a handful of pills that he did not name, and other nurses do not give him medication and instead instruct him to buy medication.
I feel too weak to exercise, and I feel pain in my back. Even walking can leave me sweaty and feeling exhausted and winded. Lately, I feel like I am having a hard time catching my breath. I only go to the yard to get some sunlight now,” said Viera Reyes.
On November 27, he went to the hospital in Tehachapi, where he was still unable to see a urologist. He was then sent to Palmdale, where they did not have one either; instead, they gave him a catheter, an IV for hydration, and medication for a urinary tract infection.
“While at the hospital, I was told that the imaging showed I have a lesion on my
spine. The doctor said it could be cancer. I am even more worried now,” wrote Viera Reyes.
His catheter had only been replaced by the medical staff at the center once, and he stated it was only because he accidentally stepped on it and it was leaking.
“I try to clean it on my own with water, and for around two weeks, I used a string as a makeshift tie to keep the bag attached to my leg so it did not move around. After returning from the hospital, no one explained to me how to take care of my catheter or how to keep it clean. I only
use water because I was not given supplies or soap to keep it clean,” explained Viera Reyes.
On December 12, he was sent to the emergency room again due to blood in the catheter. When returned to the center, he asked for his medications that were prescribed and ordered to be kept on his person. He stated that he asked the doctor for his medication and was told, “We’ll see.” As of December 15, he still had not received his medication.
Borden stated that the stories of both of these men are unfortunately representative of many people at the Core Civic Detention Center.
“We’ve received information that there are now 1,250 people detained at the facility and that staff expect there to be 2,000 by the end of this month. Core Civic has indicated that it expects to be at full activation, which we think means full capacity by quarter one of next year, and full capacity would be 2,560,” said Borden.
She explained that the failures lead to life-threatening circumstances that Campos and Viera Reyes are facing apply to hundreds of people at the detention center.
“The inadequate medical care they’ve received is a part of a system of inadequate medical care that’s applied to all people who live at the facility,” said Borden.
