Full Breakdown
Hunger Strike at Adelanto ICE Detention Center Highlights Inhumane Conditions
5/21/2026, 2:14:43 AM
Hunger Strike at Desert View Annex
At least 20 detainees at the Desert View Annex of Adelanto ICE detention complex began a hunger strike on Tuesday, refusing food to protest health conditions, reduced meals, and retaliation. A coalition of immigrant-rights groups demanded due process, bond reform, medical care, food, and accountability for deaths.
Facility Background and Recent Conditions
Adelanto, California, is ICE detention complex holding 2,000 detainees. Desert View Annex houses 400 people; rose from seven detainees in 2023 to 1,570 in 2025, four deaths Sep 2025–Mar 2026. Disability Rights California report noted meal delays, water shortages, and three psychologists for nearly 1,400 detainees.
Key Figures and Advocacy Groups
Key actors include ICE, the Department of Homeland Security, and GEO Group. Advocacy groups such as the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, Community Defense Coalition, and Disability Rights California support the strikers. Immigration attorney Caleb Soto visits weekly; sister Sonia Calderon has spoken publicly.
Data & Statistics
Twenty detainees are on strike; the Annex holds roughly 400 people; the complex holds over 2,000. Population rose from seven detainees in 2023 to 1,570 in 2025, four deaths recorded Sep 2025–Mar 2026.
Official Statements & Responses
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told LAist that no hunger strike exists at Adelanto and said ICE provides three meals, water, and comprehensive medical care. GEO Group declined comment, referring inquiries to the federal government. ICE has not confirmed a strike at the main facility.
Criticism & Opposition
Disability Rights California reported “inadequate access to food and water.” Detainees allege confinement and phone-call suspensions as retaliation. Sonia Calderon said officers prevented her niece from hugging her father, calling it “very inhumane.” Demand mold remediation, water, mental-health support, right to organize without retaliation.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Government officials say no hunger strike exists, while detainees and advocacy groups confirm a strike at the Desert View Annex. ICE has not verified a strike at the main Adelanto facility. Data on medical-appointment wait times, exact number of detainees lacking food, and scope of phone-call suspensions remain unavailable.
Verbatim Quotes
- “There are many people suffering here. This is the only way we have to raise our voice, this is a call to stop the suffering and respect our dignity as human beings,” — Adelanto detainees
- “There is no hunger strike at Adelanto.” — DHS spokesperson
- “I have watched people age in front of me in a number of months,” — Caleb Soto, attorney
- “She wanted to be close to him and the officers did not allow it, I feel it is very inhumane,” — Sonia Calderon, sister
What's Next
Legal aid organizations have filed lawsuits challenging detention conditions and the dismantling of the bond system. The California Department of Justice continues monitoring the facility, and federal oversight could increase if the hunger strike persists or further deaths occur.
