A physician experienced at auditing federal detention facilities has been appointed by a federal district judge to monitor healthcare delivery at California’s largest ICE detention facility.
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On Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Maxine M. Chesney appointed Dr. Muthusamy Anandkumar, MD, as an external monitor to ensure federal immigration authorities comply with a preliminary injunction issued in February. The injunction ordered several improvements to healthcare services at the California City Immigration Processing Center.
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“The Court found evidence of systemwide failures in Defendants’ delivery of health care services at California City Detention Facility ,” Chesney said in the order issued Monday.
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Anandkumar is a board-certified physician with extensive experience as a medical monitor in immigration detention facilities, state prisons and county jails, according to court filings.
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For the next 120 days, Anandkumar will have access to the facility for an on-site inspection of up to three days, the order states. He will also have remote access to the facility’s electronic medical records system and other relevant medical and staffing records, such as logs of suicide watch placements, attempted suicides, and self-harm incidents, patient lists and grievance records.
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In November, the American Civil Liberties Union and other civil rights organizations filed a federal class action lawsuit on behalf of several detained individuals at California City who alleged the facility is plagued by faulty infrastructure, poor sanitation, denial of basic services and insufficient medical care.
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In February, Chesney issued a preliminary injunction ordering several improvements at California City Immigration Processing Center, a 2,560-bed former state prison in eastern Kern County owned by Tennessee-based private prison operator CoreCivic.
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Kyle Virgien, a senior staff attorney at the ACLU National Prison Project, said that Monday’s order underscores “how deeply flawed and dangerous” conditions are at the California City detention center.
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“By appointing the monitor,” Virgien said, “the court has recognized just how pervasive the problems are with medical care at the facility.”
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A spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement wasn’t immediately available for comment on Monday early evening.
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In a statement to The Bee, Ryan Gustin, senior director of public affairs for CoreCivic, said the company respects the judicial process and will follow the court’s orders regarding the external monitor.
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“We take seriously our responsibility to adhere to all applicable detention standards and policies that our government partners expect of us at our California City facility,” Gustin said. “An onsite ICE Detention Standards Compliance Officer ensures we follow their strict standards and policies. All our facilities are subject to robust oversight and accountability measures. Our government partners all require regular review and audit processes.”
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Chesney also ruled Monday to transfer the case to the Eastern District of California in response to a request filed in January by the federal government.
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California ICE facility ordered to improve medical care
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According to February’s preliminary injunction, the facility must make the following improvements:
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- Adequate health care staffing
- Comprehensive, documented medical intake screening, performed by a qualified medical provider within 12 hours of a person’s arrival
- Thorough initial appraisals performed timely by a primary care provider
- Timely approval and access to medical specialists
- Timely and responsive emergency services
- Continuity of medical care upon intake and thereafter, including timely completion of active medical orders, access to scheduled provider appointments, and consistent provision of medication
- Timely access to prescribed medications
- A responsive “sick call” request system
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“We’re hoping this is going to be a step towards getting people the help they need,” Virgien said.
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Who is external monitor?
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Anandkumar is a familiar face in immigration detention.
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Between 2018 and 2025, Anandkumar was a medical expert for Defendant U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where he was contracted to audit Defendant ICE’s detention centers.
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During this time, he monitored more than 30 immigration detention centers across the country and evaluated their medical care according to ICE’s Performance-Based National Detention Standards and National Detention Standards, according to court records.
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Anandkumar is also retained by county jail systems to monitor compliance with national medical standards in Chatham County, Georgia as well as to monitor health care delivery following a U.S. Department of Justice settlement at Lake County Jail, Indiana.
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In addition to his monitoring work, Anandkumar works as a physician advisor on utilization management for a hospital in Dallas.
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He practiced for more than a decade as a physician and medical director at Dallas County Correctional Health.
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This story was first published March 31, 2026, 10:19am.
melissa montalvo
fresno bee
Melissa Montalvo is a staff reporter for The Fresno Bee. Prior to this role, she covered the Latino community for The Fresno Bee as part of the Central Valley News Collaborative. She also reported on labor, the economy and poverty for American Legion members through a newsroom partnership between The Fresno Bee, Fresnoland and CalMatters.
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