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U.S. NEWS Monday 29 July 2019
Attorney: Hunger-striking immigrants forced to hydrate

By CEDAR ATTANASIO kilometers) south of Otero,
GARANCE BURKE in West Texas.
MARTHA MENDOZA One of the men told the
Associated Press AP on Tuesday that he
EL PASO, Texas (AP) — overheard medical staff
Three Indian nationals seek- say they were being trans-
ing asylum in the U.S. have ferred to El Paso for force-
been forced to receive IV feeding.
drips at a U.S. Immigration On Thursday, Corchado
and Customs Enforcement met with her clients, who
facility in Texas as they ap- showed her IV equipment
proach their third week of a and needle pricks in their
hunger strike, according to arms. She said they told her
their attorney. that medical staff showed
Lawyers and activists who them documents that they
spoke with the men fear said were court orders for
that force-feeding may be IV drips, but didn't give
next. them copies. When the im-
The U.S. Department of Jus- migrants refused a protein-
tice filed orders with feder- filled drink that would have
al judges last week that re- effectively ended their
late to non-consensual hy- hunger strikes, the medical
dration or feeding for four staff started the IVs against
men, according to a court their will.
official. Linda Corchado, ICE did not immediately
the lawyer for three of the reply to a request for com-
four men named in the In this June 2018 file photo, protesters walk along Montana Avenue outside the El Paso Processing ment Sunday regarding
court orders, said the fourth Center in El Paso, Texas. the forced hydration.q
man is also Indian and is Associated Press
represented by another
attorney. It's unclear if that missed at least nine con-
man was also forced to ac- secutive meals, triggering
cept an IV. ICE hunger-strike proto-
The men have been locked cols," agency spokesman
up for months — one for Timothy Oberle said in a
more than a year — and statement. "The ICE Health
they are trying to appeal or Services Corps (IHSC) is
reopen asylum claims that medically monitoring the
were denied, according to detainees' health and reg-
Corchado. As of Sunday, ularly updating ICE of their
they had gone 20 days medical status. Efforts are
without food, she said. being taken to protect the
"My clients made the de- detainees' health and pri-
cision to begin a hunger vacy."
strike to protest prolonged One of the hunger strik-
detention and what they ers in Otero was deported
believe were biased and to India eight days into his
discriminatory practices by hunger strike, according
the immigration court to- to Corchado. ICE does not
ward their cases," Corcha- confirm deportations.
do said. Corchado said her three cli-
ICE confirmed that there ents stopped eating while
were detainee hunger they were at the Otero im-
strikes at its facilities in El migration detention facility
Paso and Otero, New Mex- to protest their prolonged
ico, late last week, but it detention. After more than
would not comment on the a week of hunger striking,
claims of forced hydration they were transferred to the
or force-feeding. El Paso Processing Center,
"All ten ICE detainees have which is about 30 miles (50
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