Allegations at Golden State Annex: detainees say guard abused position
Immigrants detained at the Golden State Annex in McFarland, California, have alleged that a contracted officer identified by The Los Angeles Times as “Lt Quin” sexually harassed and assaulted multiple detainees beginning in May 2023. The officer was employed by the private prison firm GEO Group as an administrative manager when the alleged misconduct occurred.
According to reporting, one 28-year-old detainee filed three separate complaints — under the Federal Tort Claims Act, with a watchdog agency, and with the Department of Homeland Security — accusing the officer of sexual assault, harassment and coercion. The complainant also contends other staff were aware of the behavior and in some cases made joking or suggestive remarks about it.
The detainee told reporters that Quin repeatedly summoned him from his dorm late at night to an office without security cameras, warned him he had been cited or reported by other guards, and then made sexual comments and touched his genitals. The complainant said Quin promised to help his immigration case and threatened to call a “code black” to summon other officers if he resisted. The detainee said he ultimately submitted to the pressure and allowed Quin to touch him and perform oral sex.
The detainee also alleges Quin gave him contraband items, including a phone and a water bottle allegedly filled with alcohol. The exchange of the alcohol-filled bottle was reportedly witnessed by another guard and led to a brief suspension and a pause in the late-night meetings.
“I feel dirty. I feel ashamed of myself, you know? I feel like my dignity was just nowhere,” the detainee said in a recorded interview.
An earlier complaint filed on the detainee's behalf by the Asian Law Caucus alleges other staff made suggestive remarks that implied knowledge of Quin's conduct. That complaint also names alleged abuse affecting five other detainees, including one who is transgender. The Times reports a gay couple from Colombia separately accused Quin of abuse in April 2024.
The complainant reportedly filed a third complaint with the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman and, to his knowledge, no investigation was opened.
Rather than remaining at Golden State Annex, the accused officer was later transferred and promoted to chief of security at the Alexandria Staging Facility in Louisiana. The alleged victim was moved to the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center in Bakersfield, California, in October 2024 and was deported the following month.
Reporters say they contacted Quin by phone; he initially declined to comment and then hung up when a reporter read the allegations aloud. The Independent and The Times contacted ICE and GEO Group for comment; both organizations were reportedly asked to respond to the allegations.
Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told The Independent that allegations of misconduct by ICE employees or contractors are "treated seriously and investigated thoroughly." She said the complaints were filed in 2024 and that "ICE — through its own investigation reviewed by CRCL [Civil Rights and Civil Liberties] — could not substantiate any complaint of sexual assault or rape." She also criticized media coverage and pointed to a reported rise in assaults against ICE personnel.
This report summarizes allegations and responses; the claims remain allegations unless and until substantiated by an independent, documented investigation.
