Human Rights

Over 700 Immigration Detainees Went On A Hunger Strike

Detainees at an Immigration Customs and Enforcement detention center began a hunger strike earlier this week in response to conditions.

Over 700 Immigration Detainees Went On A Hunger Strike
Seattle Globalist / CC BY 2.0
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Almost all of the inmates at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington, have ended their hunger strike.

The hunger strike started at noon April 10, when some male detainees refused their lunches.

The protest was planned to last at least three days because Immigration and Customs Enforcement doesn't recognize hunger strikes unless they go that long.

A few days after it began, female detainees joined, pushing the number participating up to 750.

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The strike was a response to a number of issues detainees have pointed out, like the quality of food, access to medical care and an increase in the dollar-a-day pay they get for the work they do around the facility.

By Saturday morning, all but one inmate had ended the strike, an ICE spokeswoman said.

This isn't the center's first hunger strike. In 2014, detainees there had a two-month protest over immigration detention and deportation policies.