Detainees at the North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin, Michigan, say they have restarted a hunger strike to protest what they call inadequate medical care, spoiled food, and long, open-ended detention. Advocates outside the remote immigration facility say hundreds of people in multiple units are joining the renewed action after pausing earlier in the week, while federal officials insist there is no hunger strike underway.
Advocates Describe Renewed Protest Inside the Facility
Local organizers and the coalition No Detention Centers in Michigan say the protest was reignited today, with detainees refusing meals and work assignments across several housing units. According to Michigan Public, the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center relayed reports from inside of delayed or denied medical care, food that detainees say arrives spoiled, and language barriers that make even routine communication difficult.
Advocates say messages from inside paint a grim picture. In one note shared with reporters, a detainee wrote, “I want the people outside to know, they’re treating us like animals,” according to reporting by Axios Detroit.
DHS and Private Operator Push Back on Allegations
The Department of Homeland Security disputes that a hunger strike is happening at North Lake. The agency says detainees at the privately run GEO Group facility receive three dietician-certified meals a day, clean drinking water, basic necessities, and access to phones to call families and attorneys.
CBS News reports that DHS also describes medical care at the site as a longstanding and routine part of operations. Officials further point to a program they say some detainees use to “take control of their departure” by accepting travel assistance and money to return to their home countries.
The facility’s owner, GEO Group, maintains that its centers comply with federal standards, according to company materials on The GEO Group.
Big Footprint, Growing Scrutiny in Baldwin
North Lake reopened last year and can hold roughly 1,800 people. Data tracked by Relevant Research’s ICE Detention Reports project shows an estimated average daily population of around 1,390, with the average stay close to 49 days.
Detention Reports and local news coverage note that the facility has faced heightened scrutiny since a detainee, Nenko Gantchev, was found unresponsive there in December and later died. His death helped prompt a visit from members of Congress earlier this year, and local outlets have followed lawmakers’ continued questions about medical care and transparency at the center.
Advocates Call for Audits and Tougher Oversight
Civil-rights groups, including the ACLU of Michigan and the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, have been pressing for an independent medical review of North Lake and more aggressive congressional oversight. Supporters have staged solidarity events outside the Baldwin compound as the latest protest unfolds inside.
Reporting by Michigan Advance says advocates are pushing for a federally ordered audit and on-site inspections aimed at verifying conditions and medical practices at the facility.
The renewed hunger strike claims at North Lake highlight the ongoing clash over immigration detention as federal agencies and private operators expand capacity in the region. Advocates say they plan to keep pressing lawmakers for answers and medical oversight, while DHS and GEO Group continue to insist there are no systemic failures. We will keep an eye on further developments and any official responses.
