Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Obtains Court Permission to Surgically Force-Feed Cuban Hunger Striker

Federal immigration officials received a federal judge’s authorization to insert a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) feeding tube into a Cuban detainee held at the privately-run Montgomery ICE processing center near Houston. The order, first granted on 19 August, allows ICE to perform the invasive procedure without the man’s consent and was extended on 1 September, with the extension set to expire in mid-September. The detainee, arrested on 22 July and declared a hunger striker three days later, is the 19th individual for whom ICE has secured a court-approved “involuntary medical procedure” since January 2025.

The Guardian

Since the start of the second Trump administration, ICE has sought and obtained judicial permission to force-feed hunger strikers through nasal tubes and, in this case, a surgical PEG tube. The agency must file a request with a federal judge, who, upon approval, permits detention-center staff to restrain the individual while medical personnel insert the feeding apparatus. Court records for most of these cases remain sealed, limiting public insight into the frequency and conditions of the interventions.

The Guardian

The spokesperson did not confirm whether the Cuban man had broken his hunger strike after the latest court order.

The Guardian

Savannah Kumar, a staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas, condemned the practice: “The cruelty of the extreme tactics at ICE’s disposal to end lawful protest, including forcibly cutting into a protester’s body to insert a tube in their stomach, underscores the horrors happening outside our view in ICE detention centers,” — Savannah Kumar, a staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas

The Guardian

Eunice Cho, an immigrant and civil-rights attorney, highlighted the growing frequency of such orders: “The high number of verified court orders since January 2025 raises serious concern,” — Eunice Cho, an immigrant and civil rights attorney

The Guardian

Both attorneys argue that the lack of legal representation for the detainee and the secrecy surrounding the proceedings constitute a failure of the justice system.

The Guardian

• 22 July – ICE arrests the Cuban man.

The Guardian

• Later in July – He is declared a hunger striker.

The Guardian

• 19 August – Judge Andrew Hanen authorizes force-feeding.

The Guardian

• 1 September – ICE requests an extension of the order; the judge extends it, allowing the surgical tube option.

The Guardian

• Mid-September – Current order set to expire.

The Guardian

Since January 2025, ICE has obtained court approval for involuntary medical procedures in 19 hunger-strike cases, marking a notable increase in the use of force-feeding within U.S. immigration detention.

The Guardian