Cervantes Bill Prohibiting Expansion of Detention Facilities in California Signed into Law by Governor Newsom

(SACRAMENTO) – Today, Senate Bill 1367 by Senator Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside) was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom. This law prohibits local governments from issuing new land-use authorizations that would allow the construction of a detention facility or a change of use that permits using an existing building as a detention facility, when a private entity would operate the detention facility on behalf of a government entity. SB 1367 is sponsored by the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice.

“California will not stand by and allow the establishment of more detention facilities to serve as sites for government-sanctioned acts of inhumanity,” said Senator Cervantes. “These facilities are operated by private entities to purposefully evade legal standards and avoid public accountability. Senate Bill 1367 ensures that the Golden State will not allow our land use laws to be abused to enable human rights violations.”

“SB 1367 is a critical step toward protecting our communities from becoming the next destination for private detention facilities. This law is an important exercise of California’s authority to prevent the expansion of a system that harms the well-being of Californians, exploits local infrastructures, and puts profit before the dignity and safety of our communities. SB 1367 is a victory for communities across California and makes clear that our communities are not marketplaces for mass incarceration,” said Hector Pereyra, Political Manager for Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, sponsors of SB 1367. 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has scouted or purchased approximately 23 warehouses nationwide, seeking to establish facilities designed to hold between 1,500 and 10,000 people. The opening of the Central Valley Annex in McFarland in April brought the total number of active detention centers in California to 8, up from 6 at the beginning of 2025. Private companies operate these facilities on behalf of DHS, and they have a total capacity of nearly 10,000 beds. 

The public knows very little about what is happening inside private detention facilities, except for a trickle of horror stories about rancid food, medical neglect, severe overcrowding, and other human rights abuses. This lack of transparency is magnified as immigrants are moved from one detention facility to another across state lines. At least 32 people died in federal immigration custody in 2025, and 15 have died so far in 2026 at a rate of 1 death every 6 days.

SB 1367 defines a detention facility as any structure, whether temporary or permanent, operated by a private entity on behalf of a governmental entity for the purpose of temporarily detaining people charged with a criminal offense or for civil or administrative purposes. The bill regulates all private entities operating detention facilities for these purposes, regardless of what level of government these facilities are operated on behalf of—whether local, state, or federal. 

You can read more about Senate Bill 1367 here. The new law goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2027.

# # #