Disability Law United filed a series of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests in August and September 2017 seeking information on a wide range of conditions of confinement issues, including the deaths of detained people, medical care, mental health care, solitary confinement, and sexual assault at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, a private facility operated by the GEO Group in Adelanto, California, and the Etowah County Detention Center, a county jail in Gadsden, Alabama. In early 2018, Disability Law United filed FOIA requests asking similar conditions of confinement questions about the Denver Contract Facility, another private facility operated by the GEO Group in Aurora, Colorado.
Disability Law United filed a lawsuit on February 7, 2018 in the District of Colorado demanding ICE produce the documents asked for in the FOIA requests.The lawsuit alleged that, despite a requirement by law that a response must be provided within 30 days, ICE has failed to respond to any of Disability Law United’s requests. The lawsuit sought an order from the court requiring ICE to release the requested documents to Disability Law United.
The case was resolved through settlement. Many of the requested documents were produced and Disability Law United (and co-counsel) prevailed in recovering attorneys’ fees.
Relevant documents:
- Click here to read the Complaint.
- Click here to read the First Amended Complaint (FAC).
- Click here to read the Second Amended Complaint.
Additional information about the initial FOIA requests:
- Adelanto Facility FOIA Request 1
- Adelanto Facility FOIA Request 2
- Adelanto Facility FOIA Request 3
- Adelanto Facility FOIA Request 4
- Etowah Facility FOIA Request 1
- Aurora Facility FOIA Request 1
- Aurora Facility FOIA Request 2
- General Disability Issues FOIA Request 1
- Aurora Annex Facility FOIA Request 1
- Aurora Annex One Year FOIA Request
Declarations:
- ICE FOIA Officer Declaration re: Production Rates
- Disability Law United Response to ICE FOIA Officer Declaration
- Disability Law United Motion for Sanctions and Document Production
Relevant ICE Documents Produced:
- Detainee Death Review of 2012 Death of Fernando Dominguez Valivia at Adelanto Detention Facility.
- 2016 ERO Disability Directive.
- Detainee Death Review of 2017 Death of Vincente Caceres Maradiaga
Relevant Documents Regarding ICE Expansion to Aurora South:
- Contracts Produced on 11/04/2019
- Contracts Produced on 11/27/2019
- Emails Produced on 11/04/2019
- Justifications Produced on 11/04/2019