Key facts
- At least 73 detained immigrants are participating in a mass hunger strike at the Folkston D Ray James ICE processing center in Georgia.
- Detainees are protesting prolonged detention and alleged poor conditions, including substandard medical care and threats from guards.
- Participants are requesting release while their asylum and immigration cases are processed.
- The hunger strike includes asylum seekers from countries such as Russia, China, Sudan, Afghanistan, and Nepal.
- A lead organizer of the strike, Idris Makhmudov, was reportedly placed in solitary confinement.
- The Folkston facility is run by GEO Group under contract with ICE.
Dozens of immigrants detained at a privately-run Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Folkston, Georgia, have initiated a mass hunger strike to protest their prolonged detention and alleged poor conditions. Advocates estimate at least 73 individuals are participating.
The detainees, including asylum seekers from Russia, China, Sudan, Afghanistan, and Nepal, are demanding release while their immigration cases are pending. They have released a video and an open letter detailing grievances that include substandard medical care, threats from GEO Group guards, moldy food, and a lack of due process. Some have been detained for periods ranging from 16 months to nearly three years without being accused of any crime.
One of the organizers, Russian asylum seeker Idris Makhmudov, has reportedly been placed in solitary confinement. Another detainee, an asylum seeker from Yemen with lung cancer and a U.S. citizen child, is also participating. The open letter, signed by 45 men, highlights the emotional toll of long-term detention, including missing family milestones.
The Folkston D Ray James ICE processing center is operated by GEO Group under contract with ICE. ICE's parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and GEO Group did not immediately respond to detailed questions regarding the allegations. The facility, which began detaining ICE detainees in 2018, has had its capacity expanded by GEO Group. Current data shows approximately 2,200 people are detained there.
This hunger strike is the latest in a series of protests within ICE detention centers, occurring amid increased immigration arrests nationwide. Reports indicate ICE has sought court orders for involuntary medical procedures, including force-feeding, on hunger strikers in other facilities.