Tacoma, WA – “We’ve been on a hunger strike since Tuesday,” a detainee at the infamous Northwest Detention Center (NWDC) reported that due to the terrible conditions and overcrowding they are currently in, a unit with 72 detainees has begun their fourth hunger strike of this year 2025, being the 4th hunger strike in just two months of having started this year. The hunger strikers are demanding that ICE show up to speak with them and give them answers about what is happening, to be able to complain about GEO for serving food late and unplugging the microwave. They are demanding a resolution to their immigration cases, better medical care, and to be released.
Other detainees told La Resistencia in great anguish, “This place does not have the conditions or capacity to keep us here. We are unable to go out on our yard time, they just tell us that there is not enough staff. When we ask for better food, their response is, “You should be grateful to have at least something to eat, ask your families for money to buy food from the commissary.” Several units have also told La Resistencia that for several days they were without electricity and because of that the toilets do not work.
This information is received daily through the three telephone lines of La Resistencia and they all agree on the same thing.
Also on Tuesday, February 25, a volunteer received a very alarming call: “Things are still very bad. Food is very rationed. There are no mattresses. Many people are getting infected with hives from those little animals: bedbugs. It started eight days ago. There are people who do not want to be taken to the doctor so as not to be isolated. They are taking everything away from those who were infected in this Unit.”
And the food is arriving almost at 9:30pm. Before it was at 6pm. I understand that it is because they are detaining a lot of people. I wash my clothes myself because it smells really bad. As if it were just hot water.” In another video call, a woman reported that she is 2 and a half months pregnant and requires further medical attention, however her requests have not been heard.
Hunger strikes are not the only thing that endangers the lives of immigrants detained at the NWDC. Infectious diseases are also caused by the poor conditions and pests that are not controlled, and by the deplorable condition of the mattresses and poor hygiene of the blankets that are washed every two months.
For the terrible medical care and for people with illnesses that require special care or medication.
Detained immigrants now face more challenges navigating the immigration court system because the Legal Orientation Program abruptly ended as of January 23, 2025. Even though the program was supposedly reinstated, one detained person said, “I don’t know what’s going to happen because I was getting help from them in the appeals process. I have limited time to submit some forms but everything is in English so I need help.” If individuals were not detained during their immigration court proceeding, not only would they likely have more time to prepare, but they might also have more access to a variety of legal resources to defend themselves.
In 2024, there have been a total of fourteen confirmed hunger strikes at NWDC and two deaths. One of the deaths involved GEO’s excessive use of solitary confinement. NWDC is a danger to public health. There are insufficient regulations to prevent GEO from further harming the well-being of people in custody, and where regulations do exist, there is a lack of oversight and accountability; NWDC must close to protect human rights and public health.
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La Resistencia is a grassroots organization in Washington State led by undocumented people who stand in solidarity with those detained at the Northwest Detention Center and fight for the closure of the facility and an end to all detentions and deportations.
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