Northern California Congressman Josh Harder made an unannounced visit to the ICE facility in Stockton on Wednesday, arriving with his staff to inspect the site in person. The surprise stop was framed as part of a push for greater oversight of immigration enforcement in the region, and Harder said he wanted concrete answers rather than assurances given from a distance.
Harder said he had written a letter on July 17 demanding answers from the facility's acting director, and that his office had received more than 100 calls about ICE concerns and reported activity since he last inspected the facility back in January. Among the reports, he said, were accounts of people trying to impersonate ICE agents across the valley.
The congressman described his goal as getting answers for the community about the scale of field actions, where they are taking place, and whether detainees are having their rights upheld. That focus on transparency framed much of what he said he was looking for during the inspection.
Just down the street, volunteers with a Stockton community check-in booth were posted throughout the day. Active since October 2025, they provide information about legal aid and accompany people to their appointments. On Wednesday morning, one call came in asking for help, with the volunteers acting as an emergency contact who would alert a local rapid response network and the person's family if he did not come back out.
Several volunteers said they have repeatedly seen vehicles leaving the ICE facility with dark windows and no license plates, which they described as a violation of state law. They said such unmarked cars are a regular sight, both when they are present and according to others who monitor the location on other days.
In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said that during operations ICE clearly identifies itself, and that all detainees are provided with proper meals, water and medical treatment, along with opportunities to communicate with their family members and lawyers. Harder said he met with the agent in charge, received a tour of the entire facility, and that there were no detainees present, with agents telling him they are not arresting people during appointments unless there is a warrant.
Despite that, Harder said the visit revealed concerns that need to be addressed. He said the Stockton office still does not have body cameras, even though it is the law that every ICE agent have one, calling that unacceptable. He is pushing for reforms that would mandate identification, ban unmarked vehicles and require body cameras, and said he plans to raise the issues back in Washington while leaving open the possibility of further surprise visits in the future.