Hunger Strikers at Adelanto ICE Prison Speak Out on Retaliation, Medical Neglect, and Inhumane Conditions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

06/03/2026 

Contact:  

media@immdef.org, 213-634-7615 

Tamara@ic4ij.org; (562) 212-2664  

Hunger Strikers at Adelanto ICE Prison Speak Out on Retaliation, Medical Neglect, and Inhumane Conditions 

Four individuals participating in the hunger strike speak publicly for the first time since the start of the strike, alleging retaliation for participating 

LOS ANGELES, CA -   At least 20 people detained within the Desert View Annex section of the Adelanto ICE prison in San Bernardino County launched a hunger strike on May 19, 2026, to protest unsafe and inhumane conditions. The hunger strike came on the heels of the release of the California Department of Justice’s fifth report on California detention centers, which found conditions at Desert View Annex and other immigration prisons to be  substandard and inhumane, marked by inadequate medical care, delays in treatment, overcrowding, insufficient food and drinking water, and other violations of ICE’s own detention standards. Participants in the strike are demanding the removal of mold, access to clean drinking water and adequate food, and timely medical care for people with chronic health conditions. In recent weeks, similar demonstrations from detained people at other GEO‑run facilities, such as Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey, have emerged in the same form: hunger strikes to protest the conditions and treatment. 

Accounts shared with Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef) and the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice (ICIJ) describe medical neglect, retaliation against individuals who speak out, prolonged detention, barriers to legal representation, and deteriorating mental health conditions.  These allegations mirror many of the concerns at the center of the federal lawsuit LT v. ICE, brought by ImmDef, Public Counsel, and CHIRLA to challenge unconstitutional conditions at Adelanto.  

During the congressional visit on June 1, 2026, from Reps. Judy Chu, Pete Aguilar, and Jimmy Gomez, a petition signed by 150 detained people within Adelanto ICE prison was given to the elected officials detailing poor conditions. On the following day, those participating in the strike were allegedly zip-tied, threatened with tear gas and transfers to other ICE facilities, and at least two people were put into solitary confinement. 

“People do not put their health, safety, and lives at risk lightly. The brave people participating in this hunger strike are demonstrating tremendous courage, and their actions should prompt all of us to ask, 'What conditions would drive someone to take such an extraordinary step?’” said Immigrant Defenders law Center (ImmDef) Director of Litigation & Advocacy Alvaro M. Huerta. “Over the past year, we have watched our neighbors, coworkers, and community members be swept up by ICE and placed into immigration detention through increasingly aggressive and violent enforcement tactics. Many now find themselves trapped in facilities where they report medical neglect, retaliation, and conditions so severe that they feel their only option is to abandon their legal cases and give up hope altogether rather than remain detained for many months in such horrid conditions. The people participating in this hunger strike are asking all of us to pay attention. They are risking their own health to expose what is happening behind closed doors. We have a responsibility to not look away and to listen to what they are risking their lives to tell us.” 

"We strongly condemn any retaliation against individuals participating in the hunger strike or speaking out about conditions inside Adelanto. ICE and GEO Group must be held accountable for the harm taking place in these facilities. What we are hearing today is not new, people detained inside Adelanto have been raising alarms about inadequate medical care, inhumane living conditions, poor food, and abuse for years. The hunger strike and the petition signed by 150 detained immigrants are the latest examples of people risking their own well-being just to have their voices heard. Their testimonies make clear that these facilities cannot be reformed, they must be shut down. We stand with those inside demanding dignity, accountability, and an end to immigrant detention,” said Esmeralda Santos Lead Organizer at the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice 

The following anonymous statements were provided by four people participating in the hunger strike: 

Statement 1:  

“We want the world to know about the injustice that is happening right now. We are especially worried about the people participating in the hunger strike who are suffering the most, including people with medical conditions like diabetes who are refusing food and medication. Things need to change. We are trying to get support and get back to our families. 

The treatment in detention is political. It trickles down from the President to the agencies. Despite everything we are facing, people here continue to support one another and stand together in unity. 

We want this place shut down and we want to be released. Every detention facility needs to be closed because they are not following procedures. Our due process rights are being violated. They are using taxpayer dollars to abuse immigrants. The things they say publicly do not match what we are living through. People here cannot get proper medical care, cannot afford attorneys, cannot pay bond, and many feel forced to give up and sign deportation paperwork. We are being treated like animals.” 

Statement 2:  

"The people who have taken leadership roles in organizing this hunger strike are being targeted. We have been threatened with retaliation, including being sent to solitary confinement and having commissary taken away because of our participation in the hunger strike. 

I have seen participation numbers [for the strike] go up and down because people are afraid of what might happen to them. Not everybody is mentally strong enough to deal with the pressure and fear of retaliation. Some detainees have been told there will be consequences if they do not comply, some people worry about losing privileges or facing other consequences if they continue participating. 

People should know that these threats are real and that detainees are being pressured because they are standing up for themselves and speaking out about conditions inside this facility." 

Statement 3:  

“I have deep ties to my community, family, and life in the United States. Despite that, I was denied bond and have been detained for months without resolution. I have experienced repeated delays in my own case. Even after documents were submitted and hearings were held, my case continued to be pushed back. I own my home. I own my business. I have my family here. I've been in this country more than 40 years with no tickets, no arrests, nothing. I believe too many people are being kept in detention unnecessarily. They find any little reason to call someone a flight risk so they can deny bond.” 

Statement 4:  

“Every day there is mistreatment inside this facility. The people who try to speak out are punished and threatened. I have personally been called names. I have been called handicapped, told to go stand by the bus stop, and called an idiot. Staff make degrading comments and humiliate people. If two detainees want to go to the restroom together, they are told they have to hold hands and walk together. 

We have been told that this treatment is what we deserve. We have been told that staff work for Donald Trump and that we should all just be quiet because we are going to be deported anyway. Phone calls are cut off if you are talking to a reporter, attorney, or family member about what is happening inside this facility. To get medical attention, you practically have to collapse on the floor. Even then, you have to wait 40 minutes to an hour before someone comes to check on you. 

The emotional distress we are all going through is unbelievable. There are a lot of people here talking about suicide or trying to take their own lives because they feel hopeless. I know of one person who tried to cut his throat and another who tried to hang himself. Many people are struggling, and if it were not for faith, I do not think some detainees would make it. 

I want the public to know that what is happening inside Adelanto is inhumane. I have spoken to people who have been in prison, and they tell me prison was better than this place. We need help. Someone needs to make a change. This is not the United States of America we believe in. The people responsible need to be held accountable.” 

ImmDef is not coordinating interviews with detained persons but can provide the legal context to the L.T. v ICE litigation and share their perspective on conditions at Adelanto. ICIJ can coordinate interviews with family members of detained persons participating in the hunger strike at Adelanto.  

### 

The Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef) is a next-generation social justice law firm that defends immigrant communities against injustices in the immigration system.  Our programs are a first step towards realizing the long-term goal of providing universal representation to all immigrants facing deportation. ImmDef is now the largest non‐profit, pro bono provider of deportation defense in California, with offices in Los Angeles, Riverside, Santa Ana, and San Diego. 

KEEP UP WITH IMMIGRANT DEFENDERS 

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | X