At least 10 hunger strikers held in US immigration detention have been subjected to involuntary medical procedures, including force-feeding, under the Trump administration, according to court records reviewed by the Guardian. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sought court orders to perform these procedures, which human rights groups widely consider torture. In 2025 and 2026, officials definitely performed the procedures on at least three detained immigrants and likely on two more, while five others broke their strikes as procedures loomed.
Secretive court proceedings authorized forced treatment
The Guardian's investigation, based on hundreds of pages of court filings and interviews, reveals how DHS and ICE quietly obtained judicial approval to force-feed detainees. The procedures included inserting a tube through the nose and throat to pump nutritional shakes, intravenous hydration, involuntary blood draws, and urine sample collection. In all cases, DHS requested court permission for guards to physically restrain hunger strikers.
One Kurdish asylum seeker at the Port Isabel service processing center in Los Fresnos, Texas, was force-fed for nearly eight months, from May 2025 until his deportation. Another detainee at the same facility underwent forced procedures for almost six months between September 2025 and March 2026. A third person at the Krome service processing center in Miami was subjected to forced medical procedures for nearly three months. The practices began just days before Trump's second inauguration, continuing thereafter.
Detainees without legal representation
In at least five cases, hunger strikers in Texas, Arizona, and Florida ended their strikes just before forced procedures were to begin. Six of the reviewed cases involved detainees without any legal representation during court proceedings. The DHS and ICE have conducted these procedures under both Democratic and Republican administrations; in 2024, under Biden, the Guardian found similar attempts involving at least 10 hunger strikers.
“The Trump administration’s choice to seek court orders to force-feed people in ICE detention who have engaged in hunger strikes is another stark example of the brutality it has unleashed against immigrants,” said Eunice Cho, an immigrant rights attorney who has documented such cases. The DHS and ICE did not respond to the Guardian's requests for comment.
Government and contractor responses
The US attorney's office for the western district of Washington confirmed one case, involving a Canadian man whose procedures began on 8 January 2025, under Biden, and ended two days after Trump's inauguration. “As our filings demonstrate, we work closely with the court to ensure the judge has relevant and up to date information on the health status of the detainee,” a spokesperson said. Geo Group, which runs guards at two facilities, referred questions to ICE.
Last week, the Guardian reported an ICE document confirming one involuntary procedure in late 2025 and forecasting $168,928.01 for fiscal year 2026 to manage hunger strikes, including equipment and supplies. The full scope of forced procedures remains unclear due to sealed court records and expedited legal processes.
Ethical concerns and official justifications
Medical ethicist Dr Matthew Wynia of the University of Colorado called the practice unethical. “It is unethical to force treatment on someone who is saying, ‘don’t do this to me’,” he said. “People who are on hunger strike do not want to die, they are not suicidal. They are using the only tool available to them to protest the circumstances of their confinement.”
ICE officers argued in court declarations that procedures are necessary to prevent starvation and maintain “good order” in detention centers. One officer wrote that failing to act could “lead to lowered morale, resentment, acts of detainee violence and disruptions.” ICE doctors detailed detainees' medical histories and advocated for forcible procedures.
“The idea of health professionals serving as agents of the state, rather than protectors of our patients, has a notorious history. And for the medical profession, we really don’t want to go down that path again,” Wynia added. Look out for Force-fed by ICE parts two and three in the coming days.
