LOS FRESNOS, Texas — Federal court records describe an Afghan immigration detainee being force-fed for nearly six months at the Port Isabel Processing Center, one of several cases in which U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sought permission for involuntary medical procedures during hunger strikes.
The Guardian reported finding 10 cases since January 2025 in which ICE requested procedures that included force-feeding. Its review concluded that at least three, and possibly five, detained people underwent them. Six of the 10 people lacked legal representation during the initial court proceedings, and many records were sealed.
The Afghan man began refusing food Sept. 11, 2025, at the El Valle Detention Facility and was transferred four days later to the Port Isabel center in Los Fresnos, according to filings. U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. authorized force-feeding Sept. 19. The man was later assigned legal assistance, and court entries show the order was extended several times. A facility doctor said he eventually received nutrition through a nasogastric tube twice daily and appeared frail. The government requested dismissal March 3, 2026, saying the matter had been resolved.
Other cases included Andriy Shepitsen, a Ukrainian man with severe bipolar disorder detained in Florida. His attorney intervened after ICE sought a force-feeding order, and a court directed that he receive independent medical and psychological evaluations. The case was dismissed after he resumed eating in a hospital following a 68-day hunger strike.
A Saudi woman detained in Louisiana was hospitalized with malnutrition and later transferred to a Houston detention center. ICE sought authorization to force-feed her after she fainted and was treated for starvation and dehydration. A judge scheduled a hearing, but the government withdrew its request after she ended her hunger strike. The woman remained in ICE custody when the report was published.
Medical and human-rights groups have long disputed forced feeding of competent adults who refuse nutrition, while government medical filings in individual cases have argued that intervention is necessary to prevent death or permanent injury. ICE and the Department of Homeland Security did not respond to the Guardian’s questions. CoreCivic, which provides guard services at the Houston facility, said its staff follow required health-monitoring and escalation standards and support access to counsel.
Sources: The Guardian, federal court records and ICE detention standards. Published Aug. 5, 2026.
