Russians in Georgia ICE Facility Plan Hunger Strike Over Conditions

More than 50 detainees, including Russian citizens, are planning a hunger strike this week at the Folkston D. Ray ICE Processing Center in Georgia, one of the largest privately run U.S. immigration detention facilities, according to three people familiar with the matter cited by The Moscow Times.

The facility, part of which is a converted former prison, was expanded last year under a $47-million contract with the Department of Homeland Security.

Complaints detailed in a signed document

A document dated Sept. 14 and signed by 14 detainees describes inadequate medical and dental care, difficulty communicating with relatives, dismissive staff attitudes, limited outdoor time, sleep disruption, mold on ceilings and mattresses, and poor ventilation. One author said he had gone nearly two years without a dental cleaning.

The document, originally written in Cyrillic, was authored by two Russian-speaking detainees. One detainee's wife said it was filed as a formal complaint with several federal oversight bodies. Another detainee's wife said the most serious issues concern food, inability to rest properly, and access to medical care during prolonged detention.

Inspection timing and warnings

After an inspection was scheduled for Oct. 6, conditions reportedly began improving, particularly regarding food, according to detainees' accounts relayed by their wives. Detainees remain skeptical the changes will last and planned the hunger strike to begin on the inspection day itself, aiming to draw inspectors' attention to everyday problems rather than a temporary cleanup. Some detainees had already begun refusing food by Monday.

The wives said staff gathered the would-be strikers last week after learning of the plan and tried to talk them out of it, warning of possible consequences including separation and isolation.

Neither ICE nor GEO Group, the private contractor running the facility, responded to requests for comment. GEO Group's website states the center provides round-the-clock medical access and dietitian-approved meals.

Hundreds of Russians have sought political asylum in the U.S. in recent years, with a growing number held in ICE facilities for extended periods while their cases are processed; some have been deported back to Russia. The planned strike is expected to involve detainees of several nationalities.