‘Stark example of brutality’: Trump’s ICE used court orders in plan to force-feed at least 10 hunger strikers in detention

Homeland Security officials under the Trump administration quietly sought court orders to force-feed at least ten hunger strikers in immigrant detention, according to a Guardian investigation of court filings. The outlet found officials definitely carried out procedures — including force-feeding, involuntary IV hydration and forced blood draws — on at least three detainees, with two more likely subjected to the same treatment. One asylum seeker at a detention center in south Texas endured the procedures for nearly eight months before being deported, per the filings, and in six of the cases reviewed, detainees had no legal representation during the court proceedings that authorized the treatment. The Guardian notes such practices have occurred under prior administrations too, but advocates now worry the surge in immigration arrests will bring more hunger strikes — and more forced interventions.

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