More than 50 people held at the Folkston D. Ray ICE Processing Center in Folkston, Georgia, including Russian nationals, plan to begin a hunger strike this week. The detainees are preparing to use the action to protest conditions at the center.
The center is one of the detention facilities operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and is run by a private company. The facility was expanded last year under a $47 million contract with the Department of Homeland Security; part of the center had previously been used as a prison.
Document details complaints about health care and living conditions
A document dated September 14 listed complaints about inadequate access to medical and dental care, difficulties communicating with people outside the facility, dismissive treatment by staff and living conditions.
The detainees said the time they are allowed to spend outside is limited, that they have difficulty sleeping, that mold is present on the ceilings and beds, and that ventilation is inadequate. One of the people who prepared the document said he had been at the center for nearly two years but had still been unable to receive a dental cleaning.
The document, written in Russian, was prepared by two Russian-speaking people and signed by 14 others. The spouse of one of the signatories said the document had been submitted as a formal complaint to multiple federal inspection agencies.
The detainees' families identified food, opportunities for sleep and rest, access to necessary health care and prolonged detention among the most serious problems. Families and people held at the center had previously tried to raise these issues with staff through formal complaints.
Changes seen ahead of October 6 inspection
As an inspection announced for October 6 approached, improvements were seen in the food and some living conditions at the center. However, the detainees questioned whether the changes would continue after the inspection.
The hunger strike was initially planned to begin on Tuesday, the day of the inspection. However, some people began refusing food on Monday. The action was intended to focus inspectors' attention on daily problems and show them the seriousness of the complaints at the center.
After learning about the hunger strike plan, the center's management brought together the people expected to take part in the action last week and tried to persuade them to abandon it. They were reportedly warned during the meetings that some people could be separated from one another and placed in isolation if they continued with the plan.
GEO Group says different services are available at the center
GEO Group, the private operator that manages the Folkston D. Ray ICE Processing Center for ICE, did not respond to a request for comment. The company says on its website that the center provides access to medical services around the clock, dietitian-approved meals and in-person or online visitation.
GEO Group also says that the center is accredited by the American Correctional Association. The people planning to join the hunger strike are from different nationalities, and it could not be determined how many Russian nationals would take part.
In recent years, hundreds of Russian nationals who traveled to the United States seeking political asylum have been held in ICE facilities. The detention process was prolonged because some applications took a long time to review, while some Russian nationals were forcibly sent back to Russia.
