TACOMA, Wash. — 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 is among the largest immigration detention centers in the U.S.
The hunger strikers want better cleaning, more nutritious food, better access to medical services and jobs that pay a minimum wage.
It’s operated by the for-profit GEO Group in partnership with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In a statement, GEO said it has taken steps to mitigate COVID risks through cleaning, social distancing and testing.