World Sep 04, 2026 · 1 min read

ICE bans hugging inside California’s largest detention center. Families are fighting back

In the California City facility, ‘contact visits’ are strictly forbidden – but detained residents aren’t staying quiet. Are officials listening?Teresa Reyes drove 300 miles to be with her son on his 32nd birthday in May, but she couldn’t give him a gift, share a meal with him or give him a hug. She...

TH
The Guardian
by Sam Levin in Los Angeles
ICE bans hugging inside California’s largest detention center. Families are fighting back

In the California City facility, ‘contact visits’ are strictly forbidden – but detained residents aren’t staying quiet. Are officials listening?

Teresa Reyes drove 300 miles to be with her son on his 32nd birthday in May, but she couldn’t give him a gift, share a meal with him or give him a hug. She couldn’t even touch him.

Her son, Guillermo, a tattoo artist from San Jose, is locked up in the California City immigration detention center, California’s largest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility, and the only way he can see his mother is behind a thick pane of glass.

Continue reading...
TH
Source

This article was originally published by The Guardian and written by Sam Levin in Los Angeles.

Read original article on The Guardian
Back to Discover

Reading List