Democrats Press DHS Over Hunger Strikes at Texas Detention Center
Seven congressional Democrats have written to the leaders of the U.S. immigration enforcement system to protest how detainees on hunger strike are being treated at a Texas facility, The Guardian reported on 30 October 2026. The letter, sent earlier this week, is addressed to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and David Venturella, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency that detains people while their immigration cases are decided.
The group was led by Illinois Representative Delia Ramirez. Representatives Greg Casar and Jasmine Crockett, both of Texas, are among those who signed.
The letter concerns the El Valle detention facility in Raymondville, Texas. According to the report, hunger strikers there allege substandard medical care, undrinkable water and mistreatment by guards. Some are protesting how long they have been held, and are asking for faster processing of their cases or a transfer closer to their families.
The lawmakers' letter asks DHS for details about the number of people held at the facility and the quality of medical care provided there. It also asks the department to refrain from force-feeding anyone in its custody. Force-feeding means feeding a person by tube against their will. Detainees at the facility have said they have been threatened with it. The letter further states that hunger strikers should be released to their families and protected from further detention and deportation.
Family members told the Guardian that four women and between 10 and 20 men were still taking part in the hunger strike. One of the strikers is Inna Eremeeva.
ICE's detention standards define a hunger strike as a case in which a detainee is observed not to have eaten for 72 hours. Members of Congress are, by law, allowed to inspect detention facilities.
A DHS spokesperson said the department responds to official correspondence through official channels. The department's spokesperson did not comment on the allegations in the letter.
Hunger strikes at immigration detention centers have drawn congressional scrutiny before. The current letter is the latest in a series of exchanges between lawmakers and the agencies that oversee detention.
