Kurdish hunger striker says ICE force-feeding ‘mentally broke me’

Key Points:

• Kurdish activist Gabar Choli revealed the physical and psychological harm he endured after being force-fed twice daily over eight months during a hunger strike in US immigration detention, a practice widely condemned as torture by human rights groups.
• Choli was detained by ICE in Texas after his asylum application was denied and resorted to a hunger strike to protest detention conditions and seek resolution of his case, leading to court-authorized force-feeding and other involuntary medical treatments.
• Court records and ICE documents show force-feeding involved physical restraint and insertion of a feeding tube, causing injuries such as torn nasal tissue and esophageal damage; Choli lacked legal representation and the judge denied his request for counsel while extending force-feeding orders.
• ICE and DHS stated involuntary medical treatment is only used to prevent life-threatening harm and conducted under legal authority, but critics highlight the secrecy and coercive nature of the practice amid rising numbers of hunger strikers subjected to such measures.
• Choli was deported to Canada in January 2026 after enduring what may be the longest documented force-feeding case in ICE detention, underscoring ongoing concerns about human rights and medical ethics in US immigration enforcement.