U.S. Senator, San Diego County Officials Denied Entry to Otay Mesa Detention Center

Lawmakers say they were blocked from inspecting facility despite reports of harsh conditions for detainees

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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U.S. Senator Alex Padilla and two San Diego County Board of Supervisors were denied entry to the Otay Mesa Detention Center on Friday as they attempted to conduct oversight visits of the facility following reports of harsh conditions for detainees held inside. Padilla and the supervisors say they were told they did not provide the required seven days' notice, despite their belief that they have the legal authority to conduct unannounced visits to federal facilities.

Why it matters

The denial of access to the detention center by elected officials raises concerns about transparency and accountability regarding the treatment of detainees. Reports of poor food, lack of medical care, and freezing temperatures have prompted calls for greater oversight of conditions at the facility.

The details

Padilla, along with Supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer and Paloma Aguirre, were turned away from the Otay Mesa Detention Center on Friday. Staff told them they were not allowed to enter because they did not provide the required seven days' notice, despite the lawmakers' belief that they have the legal authority to conduct unannounced oversight visits. This comes two weeks after Rep. Juan Vargas was also denied entry to the facility, days after a detainee threw a note over the fence alleging poor food, widespread illness, and lack of access to the outdoors.

  • On February 21, 2026, Sen. Padilla and San Diego County Supervisors were denied entry to the Otay Mesa Detention Center.
  • Two weeks prior, Rep. Juan Vargas was also turned away from the facility.

The players

Sen. Alex Padilla

A U.S. Senator representing California who was denied entry to the Otay Mesa Detention Center.

Terra Lawson-Remer

The Chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, who was denied entry to the detention center.

Paloma Aguirre

A San Diego County Supervisor who was denied entry to the Otay Mesa Detention Center.

Rep. Juan Vargas

A U.S. Representative from California who was denied entry to the Otay Mesa Detention Center two weeks prior.

Hanne Engan

A woman with no criminal history who was detained at the Otay Mesa Detention Center for 9 days and reported poor food and freezing temperatures.

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What they’re saying

“What do they have to hide? What does this administration have to hide? Secretary [Kristi] Noem herself was here recently and said, 'Oh, the detainees are being very well taken care of.' If that's the case, what are they afraid of? What do they have to hide?”

— Sen. Alex Padilla (nbcsandiego.com)

“It's very deeply concerning to me, to be quite honest. If they will not let us in after more than a week of notice when they would have potentially had enough time to make sure that they are in compliance, then I can only imagine how terrible and horrific the conditions are for individuals that are inside.”

— Terra Lawson-Remer, Chair, San Diego County Board of Supervisors (nbcsandiego.com)

“What we truly want to see is what are people experiencing there and talk to them. We have the allegations that they have not had access to healthy foods or fresh foods, some for over 300 days. They have not had the ability to go outside and breathe in clean air.”

— Paloma Aguirre, San Diego County Supervisor (nbcsandiego.com)

“It seemed like it was for animals. It seemed like it was not meant for human consumption. It smelled weird. It tasted really weird. I, for the most part, didn't eat because of my medication. But it was minimal protein, no fat. Not a balanced meal at all.”

— Hanne Engan, Former Otay Mesa Detention Center Detainee (nbcsandiego.com)

“It's unbearably cold. The guards, they're wearing winter jackets inside. But we don't have that luxury. When we got there, they had run out of sweaters, so they didn't give us sweaters for the first day. They only gave us T-shirts. You're just shivering nonstop and it's like a level of cold that hurts your bones. Like it's not just being uncomfortable. It's like really painful.”

— Hanne Engan, Former Otay Mesa Detention Center Detainee (nbcsandiego.com)

What’s next

Lawson-Remer and Aguirre said they would be filing a lawsuit over the denial of their inspection. Padilla said he was considering litigation too, as well as applying 'legislative pressure' on the Department of Homeland Security.

The takeaway

The denial of access to elected officials raises serious concerns about transparency and accountability at the Otay Mesa Detention Center, where detainees have reported harsh conditions including inadequate food, lack of medical care, and freezing temperatures. This incident underscores the need for greater oversight and scrutiny of conditions at immigration detention facilities.