State Senate Passes SB 1399 to Make Permanent Cal DOJ's Oversight of Immigration Detention Facilities

State Senate Passes SB 1399 to Make Permanent Cal DOJ's Oversight of Immigration Detention Facilities

Bill Heads to Assembly After 28-7 Vote; Would Remove 2027 Sunset on Attorney General's Inspection Framework

SACRAMENTO - On Tuesday, the California State Senate passed SB 1399 by Senator María Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles) on a 28-7 vote, advancing legislation that would permanently establish a framework for the California Department of Justice (Cal DOJ) to inspect and publicly report on conditions inside immigration detention facilities.

Under existing law established by Assembly Bill 103 in 2017, Cal DOJ is required to review conditions of confinement, standards of care, and how conditions affect due process rights for individuals in immigration detention facilities - but that authority expires on July 1, 2027. SB 1399 removes the sunset provision, making the oversight framework permanent.

The bill comes as Cal DOJ's most recent report - the fifth since AB 103 took effect - documented worsening conditions across California's seven privately operated immigration detention facilities, including six detainee deaths between September 2025 and March 2026, the highest number since reviews began. Inspectors found insufficient medical and detention staffing, substandard medical care, and barriers to due process rights among a detained population that grew more than 160% since 2023.

"The Senate's vote is a statement that California will not look away," said Senator Durazo. "Current law requires Cal DOJ to review immigration detention facilities and report on conditions of confinement, the standard of care, and how conditions impact the due process rights of detained individuals. But that requirement is set to sunset on July 1, 2027. SB 1399 removes the sunset provision. Cal DOJ's reports have documented deaths, inadequate care, and conditions that fail even the federal government's own standards. As long as people are being detained in California, the public has a right to know what is happening inside those facilities."

"Our fifth report on conditions at immigration detention facilities across California demonstrated the ongoing, urgent need for transparency at these facilities," said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. "By and large, conditions have deteriorated with the influx of detainees, resulting in overcrowded intake areas, understaffing, inadequate medical care, and a lack of basic necessities. I'm gratified to see this bill pass the Senate floor and look forward to its continued consideration by the Assembly. California is the only state in the nation that inspects and reports on conditions at immigration detention facilities, and we hope to continue to lead the way in the years ahead."

"People detained in civil immigration custody deserve basic dignity, due process, and protection from harmful conditions, and the public deserves transparency about what is happening behind locked doors," said Hamid Yazdan Panah, Advocacy Director at Immigrant Defense Advocates. "By continuing California DOJ's inspection and reporting framework, SB 1399 helps preserve accountability, exposes abuses that would otherwise remain hidden, and affirms that our state will not look away when immigrant communities are harmed."

SB 1399 is co-sponsored by Attorney General Rob Bonta and Immigrant Defense Advocates and is supported by a broad coalition including the California Immigrant Policy Center, UnidosUS, Public Counsel, the County of Santa Clara, and more than a dozen additional organizations. The bill now moves to the Assembly for consideration.

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Senator María Elena Durazo represents the 26th Senate District which includes Central Los Angeles, Northeast Los Angeles, East Los Angeles, and the City of Vernon.