Immigrants Launch Hunger Strike at Georgia ICE Facility

At least 73 detained immigrants have launched a mass hunger strike at the D Ray James ICE processing center in Folkston, Georgia. The detainees, primarily asylum seekers from Russia, China, Sudan, Afghanistan, and Nepal, are demanding their release while their immigration cases proceed.

In an open letter and video, the strikers allege poor facility conditions, including moldy food, plumbing failures, and substandard medical care. Two Russian detainees specifically accused a medical staffer of refusing necessary treatment. The group also reported that guards have used threats of solitary confinement to maintain control.

Idris Makhmudov, a lead organizer of the strike, was reportedly placed in solitary confinement this week. The facility is operated by the private company GEO Group under contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Both the GEO Group and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security have declined to comment on the allegations of neglect and abuse.