Detained immigrants at Georgia ICE facility launch mass hunger strike

Key Points:

• At least 73 immigrants detained at the privately run Folkston D Ray James ICE processing center in Georgia have launched a mass hunger strike to protest prolonged detention and poor facility conditions, including allegations of substandard medical care and moldy food.
• The hunger strike includes asylum seekers from diverse countries such as Russia, China, Sudan, Afghanistan, and Nepal, many of whom have been detained for 16 months to nearly three years without criminal charges.
• Organizers, including Russian asylum seeker Idris Makhmudov who has been placed in solitary confinement, demand release while their immigration cases proceed, highlighting long-term detention without individualized justification.
• Detainees report mistreatment by GEO Group staff, including xenophobic behavior, threats of solitary confinement, and neglectful medical care, while advocates note an increase in ICE arrests and detentions nationwide.
• This hunger strike is the latest in a series of protests at ICE centers since the Trump administration resumed, with previous strikes drawing significant media attention and public demonstrations met with force.