Court Records Reveal ICE Plan to Force-Feed Detained Hunger Strikers

categorize forced feeding of competent hunger strikers as a form of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment amounting to torture.Legal counsel for ICE and the U.S. Attorney’s Office argued in federal court petitions that non-consensual medical intervention is necessary to prevent death, organ failure, or permanent bodily harm to individuals in custody. Filings also explicitly noted agency concerns regarding the “adverse public perception” and staff morale issues that would arise if a detainee died on a hunger strike. In response to the revelation, civil liberties organizations criticized the use of ex-parte court orders to override individual bodily autonomy, pointing out that hunger strikes are often the only non-violent protest mechanism available to immigrants challenging remote detention, prolonged confinement, and reported physical neglect.