Originally published at Michigan Advance.
At the North Lake ICE Processing Center in Baldwin, the biggest in the Midwest with 1,800 beds, several hundred detained immigrants started a hunger strike on Monday, refusing to eat or work, according to immigrant rights advocates and relatives of the detainees in Michigan.
In a press release shared by the activist group No Detention Centers in Michigan, the hunger strike was held by male detainees “citing dangerous conditions, a lack of adequate food and medical care, and cruel legal obstacles that have kept many in captivity with no end in sight.”
Lauren Coman is a member of the group and told Michigan Advance that they had confirmed that at least four of the main male pods are involved, with an estimate of 200 detainees by Tuesday morning.
“We have confirmation from the Echo, Bravo, and the Delta pod,” she said. “Along with the hunger strike, we also have confirmation that they are striking from their jobs internally with the GEO Group: Laundry, cleaning, kitchen, etc.”
GEO Group is a private contractor that operates the Baldwin facility for ICE.
“The newly declared hunger strike represents both a response to the intensification of disturbing trends in immigration enforcement across the region and the country, with deaths in ICE detention now at a record high, and the continuation of a long history of unrest at this isolated Northern Michigan prison,” continued the press release. “Immigrant advocates plan to gather in Baldwin this week in support of those held against their will and their efforts to secure their freedom.”
When asked to comment, a spokesperson for the GEO Group sent a statement, which did not address the hunger strike, but instead noted that the support services the company provides include “around-the-clock access to medical care, in-person and virtual legal and family visitation, general and legal library access, translation services, dietician-approved meals, religious and specialty diets, recreational amenities, and opportunities to practice their religious beliefs. Additionally, all of GEO’s ICE Processing Centers are independently accredited by the American Correctional Association and the National Commission on Correctional Health Care.”
That statement, however, stands in contrast to various reports and testimonies which have shown that detainees suffer from medical neglect and insufficient food within the ICE facility, where according to ICE data, nearly 1,400 people are currently incarcerated. Additionally, in recent months, federal immigration judges have been denying the majority of bond petitions, citing flight risk as an excuse.
The GEO Group
The GEO Group spokesperson said all other inquiries needed to be directed toward ICE, which has yet to respond to a request by the Advance for comment on the hunger strike.
Outside the facility, around 40 people gathered to protest in support of the hunger strike. Holding signs against ICE and President Donald Trump, the demonstrators arrived from various parts of the state, including Grand Rapids, Ypsilanti, and Detroit.
Jamie Morales, 45, took a ride with a friend from Ypsilanti, where she lives. Waving a sign saying, “No concentration camps,” she joined the chants a dozen feet away from the facility’s main entrance.
“The conditions have been this terrible, and it’s not okay,” she said. “There are now more of us here outside because, frankly, this is unconstitutional. This isn’t what we stand for.”
Some protesters blocked vehicles and pushed against the fences, while the majority stood to the side, chanting, delivering speeches, and sharing stories of detainees. Lake County Sheriff’s deputies approached to monitor the area, but there was no escalation during the two-hour demonstration.
No Detention Centers in Michigan say they maintain communication with detainees and their families, and the strike will not be called off until their demands are addressed. Until then, they say they expect more inmates will continue to join.
The group says among the demands detainees are making include communications with ICE officials regarding “why they are being unjustly held,” more and better-quality food, addressing issues related to laundry services, and ending arbitrary rules being imposed without prior notice.
And while ICE data indicates the average stay at North Lake is 49 days, the detainees are also demanding a review of each of their cases as they contend many have been held longer than six months.
Erick Díaz Veliz is a photographer from Lansing, Michigan, and a journalism student at Lansing Community College. He has documented cultural expressions in Andean communities and covered social events and issues in Peru and Michigan as a freelance photographer. Erick was born in Lima, Peru, and began living in Lansing seven years ago.
