Key facts
- ICE sought court orders to force-feed hunger strikers.
- At least 10 hunger strikers were targeted.
- Force-feeding procedures were confirmed for at least three individuals.
- Human rights groups consider force-feeding torture.
- These actions occurred in secretive detention facilities.
- Detainees often lacked legal representation.
The Trump administration's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency actively sought court orders to compel the feeding of at least 10 individuals participating in hunger strikes within U.S. detention facilities. Official confirmation exists for the implementation of these force-feeding procedures on at least three individuals. Human rights organizations have widely condemned this practice, characterizing it as a form of torture. These interventions occurred within facilities that operated with a high degree of secrecy, and detainees were often subjected to these procedures without access to legal representation.
The use of court orders to authorize force-feeding highlights a deliberate strategy by ICE to override the autonomy of detainees engaged in hunger strikes. The number of individuals targeted, at least 10, suggests this was not an isolated incident but a policy applied across multiple detention sites. The confirmation of force-feeding for three individuals indicates that these orders were not merely sought but also executed.