Immigration detainees continue hunger strike

SEATTLE – An immigrant-rights attorney said Monday that detainees at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma were being threatened with forced feeding if they continue their hunger strike. But federal officials say the step would have to be medically necessary and court-ordered.

Attorney Sandy Restrepo said she spoke Monday with three detainees who have been participating in the hunger strike, now in its fourth day.

She said they told her they were pulled out for individual questioning and told they would be force-fed if they continued their strike.

“They were physically fatigued and tired, but emotionally they were doing great,” Restrepo said, adding they told her they planned to continue refusing food.

Hundreds of immigration detainees began the strike Friday. Under U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement rules, any detainee who doesn’t eat for 72 hours will be referred for medical evaluation and possible treatment.

ICE officials said Monday afternoon that medical personnel are taking steps to evaluate which detainees fall into that category. It wasn’t clear yet how many detainees would be affected.

An ICE official confirmed that detainees are being advised of the potential consequences of remaining on a hunger strike, including forced feeding.

Activists say the detainees are seeking better food and treatment, as well as better pay for detention center jobs. At one point, about 750 of the center’s nearly 1,300 detainees refused to eat.

ICE says about 130 people did not eat Monday lunch, though Restrepo and others believe the numbers are higher.