A mass hunger strike has been launched this week by people detained at the Folkston D Ray James Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing center in south-east Georgia. Advocates and family members estimate that at least 73 detained immigrants are participating in the protest against prolonged detention and the facility's conditions.
The Folkston facility, a former state prison, is operated by the private prison company GEO Group under a contract with ICE. Detainees, many of whom are asylum seekers, have released a video and an open letter requesting release while they pursue their asylum and immigration cases.
Two Russian asylum seekers detained at Folkston also released a document outlining alleged "violations" within the facility. These claims include substandard medical care, threats from GEO Group guards, moldy food, and a lack of due process. The open letter, signed by 45 detained immigrants this summer, states that many have been separated from their families and have missed significant life events while detained without having committed any crime.
One of the lead organisers of the hunger strike, Idris Makhmudov, a Russian asylum seeker, has reportedly been placed in solitary confinement this week. GEO Group referred all questions to ICE, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ICE's parent agency, did not respond to allegations or requests for comment.