CoreCivic, the operator behind California City’s ICE Processing Center in Kern County, has been at the center of controversy since the immigration detention center was opened in 2025. It is considered one of California's largest immigration detention centers.
In February, California City officials approved CoreCivic for a business license and a Site Plan Review Application.
The Dignity Not Detention Coalition filed an appeal challenging the city officials’ approval, leading to two city meetings to review the decisions.
In a 2-1 vote this past Tuesday evening, California City officials denied an appeal that challenged those February approvals. This decision came after a tense meeting with three hours of public comment.
On Tuesday, a closed-session hearing was held to review the city's business license approval. A public appeal meeting was also held to discuss an appeal of the site plan review application.