Detained immigrants launch hunger strike at Michigan ICE facility

cross-posted from: https://infosec.pub/post/45409448

“It’s the result of the inhumane conditions that folks are being exposed to and the prolonged detention that so many individuals at North Lake have had to endure,” said Diana Marin, an attorney representing two people at the facility.

About 40 people gathered outside the facility on Tuesday to support the detainees on strike, according to No Detention Centers Michigan.

GEO Group, when asked for comment, referred MLive to the federal government for a statement. ICE did not respond to a request for comment.

The hunger strike is occurring after families, lawyers and advocates raised concerns about medical care at North Lake.

Records show staff at the facility have called 911 dozens of times for medical emergencies, with calls becoming more frequent after the population spiked last fall.

One detainee, Nenko Gantchev, a 56-year-old Bulgarian from Chicago, died at the facility in December. He was among 33 people who died in ICE custody last year across the country, the highest total in two decades. There have already been 17 deaths so far this year.

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