An asylum seeker held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center for 17 months was hospitalized on Sunday after several days on a hunger strike, according to his family and attorney. Identified by relatives as Alex, he came to the United States in 2024 through the CBP One system to request asylum and has been detained the entire time his case has been in the courts. His family and counsel say a recent habeas petition seeking his release was denied, and that he even offered to abandon his asylum claim and accept deportation to Mexico, an option they say Immigration and Customs Enforcement refused.
Family and attorney say he was moved to a hospital
According to NBC 7 San Diego, Alex was taken to a hospital on Sunday, several days into his hunger strike. His attorney, Linette Tobin, told the outlet that yesterday, he had reached day 10 of refusing food. She said he has been locked up throughout the life of his asylum case, which was denied and is now on appeal in an already backlogged immigration system. NBC 7 San Diego reported that ICE did not respond to its requests for comment on Alex’s case.
Family shut out as health questions mount
Alex’s sister, who asked to be identified as Lana, told NBC 7 San Diego, "I can't do it anymore. I can’t just sit here and do nothing. It's just - that's the last thing I can do." Tobin says detention staff refused her request for a legal visit and would not say which hospital Alex was taken to, leaving the family without basic information about his condition or whether anyone is able to see him.
Court backlogs and judge exits snarl the legal road ahead
Tobin said the habeas petition pushing for Alex’s release was denied in late February, which means his main path out of custody now runs through the appeals process. That is a slow lane at the best of times. National reporting has documented a wave of immigration judge departures and removals that advocates say has only worsened court delays. The Los Angeles Times has reported on those staffing shifts and their impact on already swollen dockets. Lawyers warn that the combination of fewer judges and more cases can leave asylum seekers waiting years in detention while appeals crawl forward.
Conditions and oversight at Otay Mesa under fresh scrutiny
Advocates say Alex’s case fits into a longer-running pattern of complaints about medical care and access at the Otay Mesa complex. Reporting by KPBS has documented overcrowded conditions and delayed medical treatment at Otay Mesa and other immigrant detention facilities. More recently, CalMatters detailed how county officials and lawmakers seeking to inspect Otay Mesa were blocked or tightly limited. County supervisors said they were not permitted to tour housing units or review medical records, raising new questions about transparency and oversight at the site.
What comes next
Tobin says she will keep pursuing appeals and any other legal avenues while Alex’s health is monitored in custody. Family members say they plan to keep public pressure on officials as they wait for updates. The private operator of the detention center points to statements on its website that describe available medical services, while advocates continue weekly vigils outside the facility and attorneys press for more detailed information. For now, relatives and lawyers say they are stuck in a familiar limbo, waiting for clear answers about Alex’s condition and hoping the courts move faster than the system has so far allowed.
