Public Justice represents FAC, Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, Los Angeles Public Press and The Southlander in seeking to unseal court records in Gonzalez v. The GEO Group, Inc., a federal case in the Central District of California arising from an incident at the Adelanto Detention Facility, an immigration detention complex operated by GEO.
In the spring and summer of 2020, community members rallied outside the Adelanto facility to demand its closure and humane treatment of those inside. The protests prompted GEO to issue internal lockdowns keeping people in their cells almost 24 hours a day for days on end.
On June 12, only 48 hours after having been released from a previous three-day lockdown, people in detention received orders to return to their cells due to another protest outside. A group decided to protest the lockdown by remaining in place and refusing to return to their cells.
In response, GEO deployed a SWAT-like “correctional emergency response team” that blanketed everyone in the relevant unit—protestor or otherwise—with pepper bullets and spray. According to the lawsuit, people detained in the unit were left in their cells for up to three days, exposed to chemicals meant to cause debilitating pain. The lawsuit alleges they were not given access to showers, fresh air, or cleaning supplies, with many resorting to using toilet water to try to clean themselves and provide a modicum of relief. The named plaintiffs describe coughing, chest pain, intermittent blindness, and burning skin that continued for weeks after the attack.
The plaintiffs filed suit in June 2022, and the district eventually certified a class and denied GEO’s motion for summary judgment in July 2025. Trial is scheduled to begin in April 2026.
The court file contains over 50 sealed records, most of them exhibits to the summary judgment and class certification briefs. The sealed records include video footage, GEO’s emergency response policies, movement logs showing when people were finally allowed to shower or receive medical treatment, and internal reports following the incident.
If unsealed, these materials will likely provide meaningful insight into GEO’s treatment of immigrants it detains. The public has a compelling public interest in full disclosure as immigration enforcement and detention continue to ramp up throughout the country.
News:
Legal Documents:
Notice of Motion and Motion to Unseal Court Records (2/2/2026)
Notice of Motion and Motion to Intervene (2/2/2026)