A new hunger strike at the ICE detention center in Adelanto, California, has again put under scrutiny the conditions inside one of the state’s most disputed migrant facilities. The protest was driven by 20 people detained in the Desert View annex, who demand better living conditions, adequate medical care, and the complete closure of the complex.
The action was made public by the organization Defend Migrants Alliance during a press conference held on May 20. According to its representatives, the central objective was to highlight urgent demands linked to basic human rights, dignified treatment, and minimum health conditions within the center.
The case takes on greater significance because Adelanto is not just any detention center. The complex, operated by GEO Group under contract with ICE, is the largest in California and has been mentioned in previous reports for complaints about solitary confinement, negligence, and deficient conditions. That is why this strike appears not as an isolated episode, but as part of a broader discussion about migrant detention in the United States.
What are the detainees in the Desert View annex denouncing?
The public complaints point to structural problems that, according to activists and former detainees, have gone unresolved for years. Among the main accusations are the scarcity of hygiene products, spoiled food, alleged medical negligence, and daily treatment that they describe as intimidating and degrading.
Bertie Hernández, who was detained in Adelanto in 2019 and today works in legal support for immigrant children, stated during the conference that conditions not only continue, but may have even worsened. Her testimony summarizes a perception repeated by family members and organizations: that the problem is not isolated, but systemic.
To that picture are added accounts from people with family members inside the center. One of the spokespersons was Eva, the wife of a detainee participating in the strike who has been detained for 7 months. She recounted an experience marked by fear, anguish, and frustration, and assured that her husband’s medical requests were ignored despite a serious hand injury.
What are the 7 demands of the hunger strike?
The strikers presented 7 main demands, summarized by the Alliance for the Defense of Migrants. The list shows that the protest is not limited to a single complaint, but encompasses legal, sanitary, human, and structural aspects of the detention system.
First, they demand a reform of migrant bonds so that determinations are fair, transparent, and legally grounded. They also call for immediate improvements to the facilities, including the elimination of mold, the repair of water infrastructure and the proper functioning of basic spaces.
Additionally, they demand significant medical care for chronic illnesses, nutritious food, and clear answers about deaths that have occurred in custody. Finally, they demand freedom to organize without retaliation and the complete closure of Adelanto and Desert View. That last point makes clear that, for part of the protesters and allied organizations
