Afghan, Ukrainian, and Saudi detainees force-fed in ICE custody; judge approved treatment without hearing
Aug 5, 2026·Location: Texas
Country of origin: Afghanistan

The Guardian's investigation found at least 10 cases since January 2025 in which ICE subjected detained immigrants to involuntary force-feeding through nasogastric tubes. Three cases are detailed: an Afghan man force-fed daily for nearly six months at Port Isabel in Texas starting September 2025, after a federal judge ordered the treatment eight days into his hunger strike without a hearing or his input; a Ukrainian man with severe bipolar disorder, whose attorney intervened to stop his force-feeding at Krome Service processing center in Miami after 44 days on hunger strike; and a Saudi Arabian woman who went on hunger strike in Louisiana in June 2025 and was transferred to Texas, where ICE sought permission to force-feed her before she broke her strike. A doctor overseeing the Afghan man's case described him as frail and using a wheelchair after months without food, said he was restrained by a use-of-force team during feedings, and called the continued treatment "medically necessary." In six of the 10 cases reviewed, detained immigrants lacked legal representation during court proceedings.
Sources
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