Afghan, Ukrainian, and Saudi detainees force-fed in ICE custody; torture allegations emerge
Aug 5, 2026 · Texas, Afghanistan
The Guardian's investigation reveals at least 10 cases since January 2025 in which ICE subjected detained immigrants to involuntary force-feeding through nasogastric tubes. Three cases are detailed: an Afghan man force-fed daily for nearly six months at Port Isabel in Texas starting September 2025; Andriy Shepitsen, a Ukrainian man with severe bipolar disorder, whose attorney intervened to stop his force-feeding at Krome Service processing center in Miami after 44 days on hunger strike; and a Saudi Arabian woman who went on hunger strike in Louisiana in June 2025 and was transferred to Texas, where ICE sought permission to force-feed her before she broke her strike. Medical experts and human rights organizations have condemned force-feeding as torture. In six of the 10 cases reviewed, detained immigrants lacked legal representation during court proceedings, and most records remain sealed.
Sources
More incidents in Texas
- Venezuelan man deported to Liberia despite pending habeas caseAug 21, 2026 · TX
- 5-year-old boy detained with father en route to soccer game, held at Dilley facilityAug 20, 2026 · Austin, TX
- Man arrested by ICE agents at Texas home as owner demands warrantAug 20, 2026 · Brownsville, TX
- Man forced to ground by ICE agents in Brownsville shopping plazaAug 19, 2026 · Brownsville, TX
- Construction workers detained by ICE at Texas job siteAug 19, 2026 · Weslaco, TX
- Mother and two children ordered deported after months in Texas detention campAug 18, 2026 · Dilley, TX