Nine Held At Tacoma ICE Detention Center Go On Hunger Strike Over COVID Fears

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) – Nine people held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma have joined in a hunger strike to protest what they say are unclean conditions amid worries about a COVID spread.

The strike began last week, according to the group La Resistencia.

The facility that is among the largest immigration detention centers in the U.S.

It’s operated by the for-profit GEO Group in partnership with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The hunger strikers want better cleaning, more nutritious food, better access to medical services and jobs that pay a minimum wage.

In a statement, GEO said it has taken steps to mitigate COVID risks through cleaning, social distancing and testing.