ICE Reportedly Force-Fed Hunger-Striking Detainee for Months in Case Doctor Calls 'Torture'

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement reportedly force-fed an Afghan detainee for nearly six months after he began a hunger strike in 2025, with court records showing repeated orders for involuntary treatment and one doctor describing the practice as 'torture'.

The case is among 10 reviewed by The Guardian since Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025, in which ICE sought court approval to subject detained immigrants on hunger strikes to involuntary medical procedures. At least three people were subjected to such procedures, while the newspaper reported that the number may be as high as five.

ICE Force-Feeding Continued For Nearly Six Months

The Afghan man began refusing food on 11 September 2025 at the El Valle detention facility in south Texas, according to court records. Four days later, he was transferred to the Port Isabel Processing Center in Los Fresnos, where he told staff through a translator that he was protesting his immigration case and intended to continue his hunger strike until he was removed from the United States.

Eight days after the strike began, US District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr reportedly ordered ICE to force-feed him without a hearing or input from the detainee, according to the records reviewed by The Guardian. The man was later found to be 'indigent' and assigned legal assistance.

By that point, the intervention had become a prolonged process rather than a one-off medical measure. Dr Shauna Kincheloe, who worked at the Port Isabel facility, told the court after nearly three months of force-feeding that continued treatment was 'medically necessary'. She said officials had begun feeding the detainee twice a day.

The months without food had taken a visible toll. Kincheloe described the man as 'frail in appearance' and said he had begun using a wheelchair. Although she said he was not combative, the declaration stated that he was restrained by a 'use-of-force team' when he did not comply.

The force-feeding involved a nasogastric tube being inserted through the nose and down the throat. At the same time, detention guards restrained the hunger striker, according to court records and The Guardian's reporting.

Dr Kate Sugarman, a family practice doctor in Washington, DC, who was not familiar with the detainee's case, strongly criticised the practice.

'What they are doing qualifies as torture,' Sugarman said, arguing that repeated nasogastric tube insertions over such a long period could be painful and traumatic. She acknowledged that force-feeding can sometimes be used in emergency medical situations but questioned its use over a period of six months.

Lack of Legal Representation for Detainees

The Afghan detainee's case was not the only one in which ICE sought permission to intervene against a hunger striker.

Andriy Shepitsen, a 46-year-old Ukrainian man detained in Florida, spent 68 days on hunger strike while his attorney sought to address concerns about his mental health treatment and continued detention. His lawyer, Katie Blankenship, said Shepitsen had severe bipolar disorder and had experienced suicidal thoughts after being denied access to his medication.

In April, ICE sought a court order allowing officials to restrain and force-feed him. Dr Manuel E. Lopez Diaz, a physician working at the Krome Service Processing Center, declared that force-feeding through a nasogastric tube was medically necessary.

Blankenship intervened before the procedure took place, arguing that Shepitsen's mental health condition was relevant. A court subsequently ordered an independent psychological and medical evaluation at a hospital. Five days later, the case was dismissed after Shepitsen began eating.

The Guardian found that legal representation was absent in most of the cases it reviewed. Six of the 10 cases had no attorney representing the detained immigrant during the relevant court proceedings.

One involved a Saudi woman who began a hunger strike in June 2025 while detained at a Louisiana immigration facility. Her health deteriorated to the point that she was treated for malnutrition, dehydration and other symptoms associated with starvation.

ICE later asked a federal judge for permission to force-feed her. The judge scheduled a hearing rather than immediately granting the request, but the woman ended her hunger strike before the hearing took place. She remained in immigration detention more than a year after the attempt to authorise force-feeding.

CoreCivic, which operates the Houston detention facility involved in the Saudi woman's case, said the 'safety, health, wellbeing and dignity' of people in its care were priorities and that its medical staff followed established guidelines for hunger strikes.

In the Afghan detainee's case, court records show the government ultimately requested dismissal of the proceedings in March 2026 after stating that the case had 'been resolved'. The records suggest the man had ended his hunger strike, although many details remain sealed.