Full Breakdown
Mass Hunger Strike Highlights Conditions at Georgia ICE Detention Center
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
In summer 2026, detainees at the privately operated D Ray James ICE Processing Center in Folkston, Georgia, began a coordinated hunger strike to protest prolonged detention and alleged substandard conditions. Advocates estimate at least 73 immigrants are refusing food, and an open letter signed by 45 men lists grievances from inadequate medical care to threats of solitary confinement.
Background & Context
The Folkston facility, a former state prison opened in 1997, was repurposed for ICE custody in 2018 and is run by the for-profit GEO Group under a DHS contract. The contract was expanded the previous year with a $47 million investment that increased capacity. ICE detention numbers have risen nationally, and July 2026 data show roughly 2,200 individuals held at Folkston.
Key Figures & Groups
- Idris Makhmudov – Russian asylum seeker, lead organizer.
- Monica Whatley – Campaign to Shut Down the Folkston ICE Processing Center, reported Makhmudov’s placement in solitary confinement.
- Alexei Kovalko and Alexander Borovkov – Russian detainees who authored a document alleging medical neglect.
- Liang Sonji – Chinese asylum seeker detained since October 2023, cited in the open letter.
- GEO Group – Private prison company operating the facility; referred all inquiries to ICE.
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Federal agency overseeing detention; declined comment on specific allegations.
Data & Statistics
- Participants: At least 73 detainees on hunger strike (advocates, The Guardian).
- Signatories: 45 men signed the open letter; 14 Russian-speaking detainees signed a separate complaint.
- Detention Lengths: Ranges from 16 months to nearly three years without criminal charges.
- Facility Capacity: About 2,200 detainees as of July 2026.
- Contract Expansion: Added capacity funded by a $47 million DHS allocation.
On-the-Ground Reports
Detainees describe moldy food, foul-smelling water, leaky ceilings and poor ventilation. Medical complaints include lack of dental cleaning after nearly two years and, in one case, a Yemeni asylum seeker with lung cancer and a U.S. citizen child. Reports also mention threats of solitary confinement and xenophobic behavior by GEO employees.
Official Statements & Responses
- GEO Group – Stated that all questions are being referred to ICE.
- ICE and DHS – Provided no comment on the specific allegations or the hunger strike.
- ICE Court Orders – Since January 2025, ICE has obtained court orders for involuntary medical procedures, including force-feeding, for 19 hunger strikers across the detention network.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Participation Numbers: Advocates cite “at least 73” participants, while The Moscow Times notes “more than 50” planning to strike.
- Document Signatories: The open letter lists 45 signatories; a separate Russian-language document lists 14.
- Strike Timing: One source says the strike was scheduled to begin on the day of an inspection, another reports some detainees started refusing food the day before.
- Official Response: ICE and DHS have not provided substantive answers, leaving verification of conditions and staff misconduct unresolved.
Why It Matters / Impact
The protest highlights concerns about private contractors in U.S. immigration detention and the lack of transparent oversight. Allegations of indefinite detention without individualized risk assessments challenge legal standards for fairness. The hunger strike adds to similar actions at GEO facilities, drawing attention to the treatment of asylum seekers and the use of force-feeding.
What’s Next
An inspection of the Folkston center was announced for early October 2026. Detainees hope the review will prompt improvements, though families remain skeptical that changes will endure without sustained external pressure.