Detainees at the Adelanto immigration detention complex in California’s San Bernardino County launched a hunger strike this week to protest conditions they describe as inhumane. Advocates said at least 20 men at the Desert View Annex facility stopped eating, with reports that additional participants joined at the main processing center.
Strikers demanded improved medical and mental health care, nutritious food, cleanup of mold, access to clean water and accountability for detainee deaths. The facility is operated by GEO Group under contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and holds more than 2,000 people, according to the California Department of Justice.
A critical state report released May 15 documented overcrowding, delayed medical care and excessive use of force across seven California immigration facilities. Attorney General Rob Bonta said the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign has left facilities unprepared. Six detainees died in ICE custody in California between September 2025 and March 2026.
Department of Homeland Security officials denied a hunger strike was occurring and said ICE continues providing three meals daily during such protests. Immigrant rights groups have sued seeking better conditions, with a hearing scheduled for July 10. Family members and lawyers described detainees facing retaliation including threats of solitary confinement.
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Sources:
https://www.democracynow.org/2026/5/22/headlines