September 3rd, 2026
The Honorable Bennie G. Thompson
U.S. House of Representatives
2466 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Congressman Thompson:

I am writing to urge you to investigate and act on the conditions at the Adams County Correctional Center in Natchez, an ICE detention facility operated by CoreCivic that is currently one of the largest immigration detention centers in the country. We are deeply concerned about recurring reports of unsafe and inhumane conditions at this facility. In recent weeks, detainees have staged protests over inadequate meals, cut-off hot water and hot food during maintenance to the gas system, and unexplained nighttime power interruptions. Detainees have also reported severe overcrowding, including three people housed in two-person cells and individuals sleeping on the floor.

A petition signed by nearly 70 detainees calling for improved living conditions was reportedly submitted to facility staff weeks before the most recent protest, without adequate response. These reports follow a pattern of documented problems at Adams County. A 2021 Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General inspection found violations of ICE detention standards, including a case in which a detainee who was examined by the medical unit was not sent for urgent hospital care and later died, as well as failures to meet standards for classification, grievances, segregation, and staff-detainee communication. More recently, a detainee, Delvin Francisco Rodriguez, died in December 2025 after a medical emergency at the facility. The facility has also drawn scrutiny for holding detainees with no criminal conviction, with reports indicating that only a small fraction of those detained there have any criminal history.

Demands:
1. Request an immediate, unannounced inspection of the Adams County Correctional Center by the DHS Office of Inspector General or the appropriate oversight body, with public reporting of findings.
2. Press ICE and CoreCivic for full transparency on current population levels, staffing ratios, medical care protocols, and the circumstances surrounding recent detainee deaths.
3. Support congressional oversight hearings on conditions in private, for-profit ICE detention facilities, including Adams County.
4. Advocate for enforceable, independently monitored standards of care, including access to adequate medical treatment, humane housing conditions, and timely response to detainee grievances.

As this facility is in your district, your office has the standing to demand accountability from ICE and CoreCivic on behalf of the people held at this facility and the broader Adams County community in which you represent. We would appreciate it if you stood with us in this fight and am happy to provide any additional information that would be helpful.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.