Results of May 2024 Unannounced Inspections of CBP Holding Facilities in the Tucson Area (REDACTED)

In May 2024, we conducted on-site, unannounced inspections at five U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities in the Tucson area, specifically four U.S. Border Patrol (Border Patrol) facilities and one Office of Field Operations port of entry. At the time of our on-site inspections, Border Patrol held 1,381 detainees in custody in the Tucson Coordination Center, Tucson Soft-sided Facility, Nogales Processing Facility, and Ajo station. In all four facilities, we found Border Patrol held detainees longer than specified in the National Standards on Transport, Escort, Detention, and Search, which generally limits detention to 72 hours. Overall, Border Patrol met other applicable standards to provide or make available amenities such as food, water, and medical care to detainees. However, we found Border Patrol did not follow standard procedures for managing detainee property in one holding facility, instances where agents did not document welfare checks for detainees with medical conditions, holding cells that were over capacity, and insufficient medical staffing. In addition, we found data integrity issues with information in Border Patrol’s electronic system of record, e3.