SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Senator Lena Gonzalez’s (D-Long Beach) Senate Bill (SB) 423, the Detention Facility Transparency Act, passed the Legislature and now heads to the Governor’s desk for a signature. 

SB 423 responds to longstanding – and worsening – concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding conditions inside privately operated immigration detention facilities. Reports of medical neglect, violence, and dangerous conditions have continued to grow as the population detained in these facilities increases. Earlier this year, the California Attorney General documented worsening overcrowding, strained resources, and challenges accessing medical care at immigration detention facilities. Between September 2025 and March 2026, six people died at two private detention facilities in California.

Despite serious concerns about how these facilities operate, public agencies have at times refused to release records of emergency calls when requested through the California Public Records Act. When a recent CalMatters investigation found a rise in reports of rape and other sexual violence at the Otay Mesa detention facility in San Diego County, the Sheriff’s department refused to release multiple records requested by reporters. The Sherrif’s department stated that the records were exempt as they were part of a law enforcement investigation, despite having an agreement with the private detention facility that the sheriff would not investigate incidents at the facility. 

Records of emergency calls can provide journalists, advocates, families, state and local officials, and the public with critical information about incidents that would otherwise remain hidden behind detention facility walls. SB 423 would amend the California Public Records Act to require local agencies, upon request, to disclose audio recordings and related records concerning 911 calls and other calls for emergency services originating from privately-run detention facilities. It maintains important privacy protections – such as redacting identifying information about crime victims and allowing agencies to withhold information when disclosure would substantially interfere with an active investigation, while ensuring that illegitimate claims of confidentiality cannot be used to shield these facilities from public scrutiny.   

“I am proud to author SB 423, not only because it is sound public policy that prioritizes transparency and accountability, but because it is morally the right thing to do,” said Senator Lena Gonzalez. “Our communities deserve safety, and no person in detention should have to resort to throwing notes over the walls of a detention facility to have their needs met and their voice heard.”

“By supporting SB 423, California sends a clear message that the walls of private detention facilities cannot hide the truth of what is taking place in these facilities,” said Jackie Gonzalez, the Co-Executive Director at Immigrant Defense Advocates. “Shining a light into these facilities is the first step in addressing the injustice that is taking place.”

“The Legislature has sent a powerful message: No more secrecy. SB 423 makes clear that 911 calls and related records about events in detention must be released upon request. This will shed more light on a notoriously opaque system, leading to stronger oversight and accountability,” said Ginny LaRoe, Advocacy Director of the First Amendment Coalition.

SB 423 is co-sponsored by Immigrant Defense Advocates and the First Amendment Coalition and is supported by immigrant rights advocates, civil liberties groups, and a coalition of press freedom and journalism organizations. It passed the Legislature on August 31, 2026 and is now headed to Governor Newsom’s desk. Governor Newsom has until September 30, 2026 to sign legislation.

For more information about the Detention Facility Transparency Act, visit: bit.ly/SB423_FactSheet

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Senator Lena Gonzalez proudly represents one million residents in California’s 33rd Senate District, which encompasses Southeast Los Angeles, the City and Port of Long Beach, Lakewood, Signal Hill, and Catalina Island. She serves as Chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus and is a dedicated advocate on key priorities that impact Californians, from economic development and environmental justice to LGBTQ+ and women’s rights, digital equity and more.

The First Amendment Coalition (FAC) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public interest organization working across California to defend free speech, a free press and the people’s right to know. It provides educational resources, engages in impact litigation and champions policy reform to advance press and public access to government information. 

Immigrant Defense Advocates (IDA) is a California-based policy project working to protect the rights, dignity and safety of immigrant communities through legal advocacy, policy reform and community-centered defense. IDA advocates for transparency and accountability in systems that detain, surveil and separate immigrant families.