The inspector general for the Department of Homeland Security released a damning report Friday detailing "unsanitary and unsafe conditions" at the largest detention center for immigrants in the New York City region.

Under a contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, about 800 immigrants are held at the Essex County Correctional Facility in New Jersey while they wait for hearings on orders of deportation, or while travel arrangements are made for their deportations. 

Here are the main findings stemming from a surprise visit that inspectors made to the jail last July: 

• A county jail guard left a loaded gun in a staff bathroom; it was found by an immigrant detainee who was cleaning the bathroom as part of his $1.50-a-day job. The detainee alerted officers about the weapon before anyone got hurt, but the county never told ICE, which is a violation of its contract. This was the fourth time in less than a year that the county failed to notify ICE of a security incident involving detainees. The guard was suspended for 45 days, while officers told the detainee not to speak about it. ICE is considering whether to fine the county for this violation.

• In the dining area, inspectors found slimy, expired and discolored lunch meat, "foul smelling and unrecognizable" hamburger patties, blood from a raw chicken leaking all over a refrigerator and moldy bread that was set aside in plastic bags to be later used to make bread pudding. According to the report, "the food handling, in general, was so substandard that ICE and facility leadership had the kitchen manager replaced during our inspection."

• Detainees complained of food poisoning and stomach infections involving diarrhea and vomiting. In the first seven months of 2018, 200 kitchen-related grievances were filed by detainees. One detainee said: "For dinner, we were served meatballs that smell like fecal matter." Therefore, some detainees buy packaged goods from the commissary in order to eat, while one reported going on a liquid-only diet. 

• Inspectors documented unsanitary, moldy shower stalls and liquid dripping from ceilings in housing units, including onto detainee beds.

• Some mattresses were found to be in such poor condition that detainees used ripped bed sheets to tie the mattress seams together so the filling wouldn't come out. There are no pillows provided.

• Although ICE standards require outdoor recreation time, the Essex County jail's outdoor space are glass enclosures with mesh cages at the top that are located within housing units. That is considered sub-standard.

The report indicated that many of the issues had been addressed in recent months. 

In a statement, Al Ortiz, the director of the Essex County Correctional Facility, said that the jail had earned 100 percent compliance ratings from the state for the past 10 years, and had been accredited by the American Correctional Association.

"We understand the issues raised in the inspector general’s report and have taken steps to address and rectify the conditions," Ortiz said. "We are proud of our proactive approach to meet the needs of our detainees and the high standards of care that we have set for our facility."

A spokesman for ICE also released a statement, saying that immediately after last July's inspection, the jail improved its food storage practices, disinfected the housing units and replaced the mattresses.

"ICE is committed to continually enhancing civil detention operations to promote a safe and secure environment for both detainees and staff," the statement read.