ICE moved – Immigration advocates accuse Immigration and Customs Enforcement of retaliating against detainees at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, after they say a Belizean organizer of hunger strikes was moved out of state and scheduled for deportation despite a court
For the third time in less than a year, detainees at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center say they were forced to confront the same question: when you refuse food to demand basic care, who hears you—and who punishes you for trying.
Immigration attorneys and advocates are accusing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials of retaliating against detainees taking part in hunger strikes over inhumane conditions at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center. The dispute centers on a detainee being moved out of state after he spoke publicly about conditions and after a court order required ICE to provide notice before transfers.
The Immigrant Defenders Law Center says a Belizean man it represents. Kyron Shakeel Swaso. who helped organize some of the hunger strikes and spoke to three members of Congress about the conditions at the detention center in San Bernardino County. was moved to out-of-state facilities and scheduled to be deported. The law group says that move violates a court directive.
The law group says Swaso’s transfer also breached the California Central District Court’s general order on immigration habeas corpus petitions. which requires ICE to give a two-day notice to the petitioner or their lawyers that they are going to be transferred out of the district. The law center further reports that other participants alleged they were zip-tied. threatened with tear gas. and put in solitary confinement or transferred to other ICE facilities.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson. in an email response to The Times. denied the allegations. saying Swaso—described as having a criminal history—was issued a final order of removal and was transferred to another facility as part of his removal proceedings. The spokesperson also denied there was a hunger strike and said no one was being abused at the facility. which has been the subject of a federal class-action lawsuit.
At least four people have died at the facility.
Melissa Shepard, legal services director at the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, said in a statement that the timeline matters. “The sudden transfer of Mr. Swaso. followed by ICE’s breakneck attempt to deport him and their denial of a hunger strike at Adelanto. raises glaring red flags. ” she said. Shepard argued that Swaso has an “unequivocal First Amendment right to speak publicly about the conditions of his detention without fear of retaliation.” She called the transfer “a blatant act of retaliation.”.
The hunger and economic strike began May 19. including at the Desert View Annex. a wing of the Adelanto ICE Processing Center. Detainees alleged subpar conditions and inadequate medical care. They also said food rations were reduced, forcing them to buy costly items at the commissary. The detainees said they would stop purchasing items.
A few days later, hundreds of detainees went on a hunger and labor strike at Delaney Hall in Newark, N.J., over moldy food, lack of medical care, and allegations that they were forced to perform facility work for little to no pay.
Both facilities are owned and operated by the Geo Group Inc. one of the largest private prison and immigration detention contractors in the country. Geo Group has faced long-standing criticism and scrutiny over its treatment of immigrant detainees and conditions at its facilities. A spokesperson for Geo Group could not immediately be reached for comment. but the company previously told The Times that its services are monitored by ICE and other organizations within the Department of Homeland Security to ensure compliance with federal government detention standards. In a prior written statement. Geo Group said its support services include around-the-clock access to medical care. in-person and virtual legal and family visitation. general and legal library access. translation services. dietitian-approved meals. religious and specialty diets. recreational amenities. and opportunities to practice religious beliefs.
The advocates’ account also runs into a parallel political story: visits by lawmakers during the strike.
Nearly two weeks after the hunger strike began at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, three members of Congress visited the detention centers: U.S. Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park), Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Redlands), and Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Los Angeles).
In a phone interview, Gomez said he and others met with three detainees on June 1. He said at least one of them was still on a hunger strike at the time. Gomez said the detainees gave the lawmakers a petition listing complaints signed by more than 100 detainees. and he said those who signed the petition had been on a hunger strike from May 22 to May 28.
Gomez said the detainees complained about the quality of the food and water. He said they told him those on hunger strikes were threatened with solitary confinement, and that some were denied visitations and phone calls.
“They said the administrators are saying there’s no hunger strike because the way they see it is if the food is delivered, then they don’t consider that a hunger strike,” Gomez said.
Gomez added that some detainees either throw the food away or give it to others. He said more investigation of the facilities is needed and that he plans to return.
“I do believe that some of them were on hunger strikes,” Gomez said. “At the same time, a lot of them could be putting their own lives at risk if they stay on a hunger strike too long.”
ICE Adelanto ICE Processing Center hunger strike Kyron Shakeel Swaso immigration habeas corpus court order notice Immigrant Defenders Law Center Judy Chu Pete Aguilar Jimmy Gomez Geo Group Desert View Annex Delaney Hall deportation