ICE says it takes misconduct allegations seriously. Central Valley hunger strikes continue

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says it takes allegations of misconduct seriously, and respects people’s rights to “voice their opinion without interference.”

The agency’s comments to The Bee this week are in response to a hunger strike that began Feb. 17 at two Central Valley facilities, Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center in Bakersfield and the Golden State Annex to the north in McFarland.

ICE confirmed the hunger strike, and said it became official on Sunday evening after detainees missed nine consecutive meals at Mesa Verde and the Golden State Annex. The agency says it explains the negative effects of not eating to detainees, and places them on medical observation by ICE personnel or contracted medical providers.

The federal immigration agency said it’s committed to ensuring the safety of those in its custody, and making sure they live in “humane environments.”

“The agency takes allegations of misconduct very seriously — personnel are held to the highest standards of professional and ethical behavior, and when a complaint is received, it is investigated thoroughly to determine veracity and ensure comprehensive standards are strictly maintained and enforced,” the agency told The Bee in an email this week.

However, the ACLU of Northern California says it’s the organization’s understanding that ICE relies on The GEO Group to investigate claims. The GEO Group, which runs the facilities for the federal government, last week denied various allegations.

The hunger strike comes after a 10-month-long, ongoing labor strike to protest wages of $1 per day to work to maintain the facilities. In July 2022, a group of nine immigrants sued The GEO Group over the $1 wage.

ACLU of Northern California told The Bee the hunger strike also comes amid “abhorrent” and “soul-crushing” living conditions at both facilities

Detained immigrants and the ACLU of Northern California told The Bee immigrants began to face various forms of retaliation since the labor strike began. The retaliation has included being placed in solitary confinement, being threatened with transfer to out-of-state facilities, being written up, and being “subjected to sexually abusive pat-downs” at Mesa Verde.

ICE said it encourages people to report the allegations of misconduct through the Detention Reporting and Information Line at 888-351-4024, a toll-free service that also provides language assistance.

ICE said it “has a zero-tolerance policy for all forms of assault, including sexual abuse, and works to protect detainees from sexual abuse by staff as well as other detainees.”

“Detention facilities are required to notify ICE of all sexual abuse or assault allegations, as well as notify local law enforcement of any allegations involving potentially criminal behavior,” the agency said. “Every allegation is investigated and referred appropriately for adjudication as required. Any individual — ICE employee or contractor — suspected of sexual abuse or assault is immediately removed from contact with detained individuals until the completion of the investigation.”

Detainee Gustavo Adolfo Flores Coreas last week recalled being subjected to “abusive pat-downs” by guards every time he left his dorm at Mesa Verde. Coreas told The Bee he began to skip meals to avoid the pat-downs by guards employed by The GEO Group.

“It was awful,” Coreas, who is now housed at the Golden State Annex, told The Bee during an interview last week about the pat-downs at Mesa Verde. “I didn’t want to be excessively touched.”

Minju Cho, a staff attorney with the Immigrants’ Rights Program at the ACLU of Northern California, on Wednesday said it’s her organization’s understanding that ICE doesn’t directly investigate sexual abuse claims.

“We believe ICE relies upon GEO Group — colleagues of the people who are accused of committing the abuse — to conduct the investigations,” she told The Bee in written responses. “We believe that this conflict of interest renders any investigation meaningless.”

Hunger strike

Meanwhile, a total of 84 strikers at both Central Valley facilities were on day five of the hunger strike on Wednesday. The number of strikers was initially 77.

“For their health and safety, ICE carefully monitors the food and water intake of those detainees identified as being on a hunger strike,” the agency said.

Cho said her organization is currently investigating reports of retaliation against the hunger strikers. Peaceful protests at both Central Valley facilities have historically been met with retaliation, Cho said, and her organization filed complaints with the Department of Homeland Security in 2021, 2022, and 2023.

The most recent complaint, she said, was related to the “sexually aggressive pat-downs, which are in retaliation for people engaging in constitutionally protected expressive activity.”

“To our knowledge, some of the sexually abusive pat-downs were reported to law enforcement, but not by ICE or GEO Group,” Cho said.

“ICE fully respects the rights of all people to voice their opinion without interference,” the agency told The Bee. “ICE does not retaliate in any way against hunger strikers.”

Furthermore, ICE also said its work program is voluntary, and those who choose to participate, get compensation.

“ICE and GEO Group’s retaliatory and hostile response to people refusing to participate in the ‘voluntary’ work program clearly shows how non-voluntary it is in practice,” Cho said.

In response to allegations that immigrants don’t receive medical care in a timely manner, ICE said people in its custody receive a medical, dental and mental health intake screening within 12 hours of their arrival, and a full health assessment within 14 days. The agency said there’s access to 24-hour emergency care.

The ICE Health Service Corps has an operating budget of nearly $324 million for fiscal year 2022 to provide healthcare services to people in ICE’s custody, the agency said.

“ICE is committed to ensuring the welfare of all those in the agency’s custody, including providing access to necessary and appropriate medical care,” the agency said.