ACLU and Partners Urge Diamondback Correctional Facility to Address Abusive and Unlawful Conditions of Confinement in Immigration Detention

WATONGA, OK — Earlier today, immigrants’ rights advocates sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security condemning the deplorable conditions inside Diamondback Correctional Facility. Concerns have hit an all-time high over the abusive and unlawful conditions of confinement in immigration detention centers across the country, and in Oklahoma there have been widespread reports of similar issues, such as medical neglect, insufficient food, sensory deprivation, and failure to provide detained people with reasonable access to their legal counsel.

Diamondback is a 2,160-bed detention center located in Watonga, Oklahoma. After sitting empty for fifteen years, the for-profit prison company CoreCivic announced in October 2025 that it had signed a contract with the federal government to reopen the facility for the purpose of immigration detention. The facility became operational at breakneck speed, housing people within just two months of the reopening announcement and purportedly without the infrastructure necessary to facilitate attorney-client visits. Diamondback’s population has grown steadily since reopening. With a 2,160-bed capacity, as of late June it was reported to house 1,522 people.

This letter, sent by the ACLU National Foundation National Prison Project, ACLU of Oklahoma Foundation, CAIR Oklahoma, YWCA Tulsa, Latitude Legal Alliance, and Rivas and Associates, urges ICE not to process any new detained people into Diamondback until it has conducted a comprehensive review and ensured the public that the facility has adequate systems in place to provide for constitutionally sufficient health care, attorney access, access to outdoor recreation, and processes for swiftly effectuating voluntary departure orders.

“Everyone in government custody has a constitutional right to a safe and humane living environment while detained, regardless of their immigration status,” said Travis Handler, legal fellow for the ACLU of Oklahoma. “But the Trump Administration's cruel and extreme immigration policies have disregarded the due process and constitutional rights of those detained. We encourage all Oklahomans to hold the Department of Homeland Security and CoreCivic accountable, advocating for an investigation into Diamondback’s conditions and urging greater transparency into the facility’s operations. Access to necessities like food, medical care, and legal counsel aren’t mere suggestions – they are constitutionally protected rights to which all people in detention are entitled.”

The ACLU and partners have requested a meeting with ICE officials and Diamondback’s leadership to discuss concerns.