Overview
- Detainees at the North Lake facility in Baldwin began a hunger strike Monday that advocates say involves about 200 men across several housing pods.
- DHS denied that a strike is occurring at the GEO Group–operated site and said detainees receive three meals, adequate water, and full medical services under agency standards.
- Strikers seek better medical care, improved food, reviews of their immigration cases, clearer access to ICE staff, and an end to abrupt rules, with some citing language barriers that block basic communication.
- Supporters gathered outside the center Tuesday with roughly 40 people present, and deputies observed the protest after some tried to block vehicles, with no arrests reported.
- The action reflects wider concerns about ICE detention conditions, including reports of rising in-custody deaths and recent cuts to DHS oversight offices.