Four men who appeared in a recorded video documenting internal conditions at the Folkston ICE Processing Center have been placed in segregation as of October 9, 2026. The move, described by advocates as a form of retaliation, comes amid a widening mass hunger strike at the Georgia facility.
Approximately 73 detainees are currently participating in the hunger strike to protest conditions at the center, which is the largest of its kind in the state.
The Folkston facility is operated by the GEO Group, a private contractor. In 2025, the facility underwent a significant $47 million expansion under a contract with the Department of Homeland Security. This growth was part of a larger initiative to increase detention capacity, which included the activation of nearly 1,900 additional beds at the site to accommodate U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) requirements.
The current unrest follows a history of conflicting reports regarding the facility’s operations. While ICE inspectors recently issued a “good” rating for the center in June 2026, previous audits by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General identified more than a dozen major violations. Detainees participating in the current strike have pointed to systemic issues within the facility and the broader immigration court system, which they characterize as intentionally slow to resolve cases.
According to reporting on the protest, those placed in segregation were isolated shortly after the video reached the public. The use of solitary confinement as a response to detainee advocacy has frequently been a point of contention between human rights observers and private detention operators.
The GEO Group has not provided specific comment on the claims of medical neglect or food quality mentioned by those on strike. As the hunger strike enters its current phase, the 73 participants remain under observation within the facility’s secure perimeter.
