Port Isabel Detention Center
Los Fresnos, Texas · 11 well-documented stories
What stands out here
Conditions that appear in a larger share of this facility's stories than of facility stories in general. Stories run from Oct 2025 to Aug 2026.
Nothing stands out against facilities in general; the most documented conditions here:
- Hunger strike27% vs 2%
The person or a group refused food in protest.
- Shackled or chained18% vs 6%
Shackled, chained, zip-tied for long periods, restrained during transport or medical care, or held in a restraint chair.
- Tackled, pinned, or thrown down9% vs 4%
The person was tackled, slammed, pinned to the ground, or thrown against a surface.
share of stories hereacross all facilities
Everything the stories describe here
- Hunger strike · 3 stories
The person or a group refused food in protest.
- Shackled or chained · 2 stories
Shackled, chained, zip-tied for long periods, restrained during transport or medical care, or held in a restraint chair.
- Tackled, pinned, or thrown down · 1 story
The person was tackled, slammed, pinned to the ground, or thrown against a surface.
- Solitary confinement · 1 story
Placed in isolation or segregation.
- Injury needing medical treatment · 1 story
The person or a bystander was hurt badly enough to need medical care.
In their words
“My brother and I are not bad people. We’ve done everything in our power to be here as legally as we can.”
“At that point, his wife and I were trying to get him out of the hunger strike, but he was in such a mental state that he just really couldn’t hear that.”
Stories
Gabar C.: Kurdish filmmaker shackled and force-fed twice daily in ICE detentionGabar Choli, a 40-year-old Kurdish filmmaker, described being shackled and force-fed through a nasal tube twice daily during a hunger strike at a Texas detention center. He was later deported and now lives in Canada.Los Fresnos, TX · Aug 10, 2026 · The Guardian, Eastern New Mexico News, Nexa News +1
Jose M.A.: Honduran father deported, detained again in TexasJose Eliezer Martinez-Andino, a 20-year-old Honduran mechanic in Raleigh with a work permit, was deported away from his U.S. citizen daughter, then held again for weeks after a judge ordered his return.Raleigh, NC · Aug 8, 2026 · The News & Observer, WUNC, Newsweek +3- Hunger-striking detainees force-fed by ICE, one daily for nearly six monthsAt least ten detained immigrants, including an Afghan man, a Ukrainian man with bipolar disorder, and a Saudi woman, were force-fed during hunger strikes, one daily for nearly six months after a judge approved it without a hearing.“At that point, his wife and I were trying to get him out of the hunger strike, but he was in such a mental state that he just really couldn’t hear that.” — Katie BlankenshipTexas · Aug 5, 2026 · The Guardian, International Business Times
Hunger strikers in ICE detention force-fed, one asylum seeker for 8 monthsAt least ten hunger strikers in immigrant detention faced attempts at force-feeding, including one Kurdish asylum seeker fed against his will for eight months at a Texas facility.Los Fresnos, TX; Miami, FL; Washington State; Houston, TX · Aug 3, 2026 · The Guardian, Consortium News- Safiatou M.: Guinean woman protected from return held in Texas, faces deportation to GhanaA Guinean woman held in Texas, already protected from being sent to Guinea, faced imminent removal to Ghana without a chance to raise fears about going there. A judge temporarily blocked the transfer.Cameron County, Texas · Jul 22, 2026 · CourtListener
- Mohammad H.: Man held in Texas cannot see his New York lawyer in personA man held at Port Isabel Service Processing Center in Texas sought to stop his transfer out of state while his case proceeds, but a court denied the request.Cameron County, Texas · Jul 17, 2026 · CourtListener
Hector C.S. and Jesus C.: 16- and 19-year-old detained by ICE in Illinois, moved to TexasHector Cruz-Sanchez, 19, and Jesus Alexis Cruz, 16, were detained during a work trip after a traffic stop, then separated and sent to different Texas facilities, raising family concerns over the teen's transfer.Morrisonville, IL · Jun 9, 2026 · NPR Illinois, Belleville News-Democrat, Fox 2 Now +2Patricia B.S.: U.S. citizen honors student, 17, left alone after mother deported to MexicoPatricia Balbuena Soto, a New Jersey mother of nearly 30 years, was deported to Mexico on August 5, 2025, leaving her 17-year-old honors-student daughter to manage school, finances and the mortgage alone.Atlantic County, NJ · May 12, 2026 · NJ.com, And Diligence, Newsweek +2
José C.D.: DACA recipient deported by ICE missed his son's birthJosé Contreras Díaz, a 30-year-old DACA recipient, was deported to Honduras and missed his son's birth, then detained again on his return before being freed in May after more than three months apart from his family.“My brother and I are not bad people. We’ve done everything in our power to be here as legally as we can.” — Cindy Contreras, his sisterRio Grande Valley, TX · May 12, 2026 · MS Now, Times of India, Texas Tribune +11
Ruben: Nicaraguan man deported after arrest at asylum appointment in San Francisco courtRuben, 28, had lived in San Francisco's Mission District with his brother Francisco for three years before being arrested at his own asylum hearing in February. He was moved through several detention centers and deported to Nicaragua in March.San Francisco, CA · Mar 8, 2026 · Mission Local, EXA- Rajpal S.: Indian man held by ICE 5 months as India refuses travel papersAn Indian citizen who complied with supervised release for nearly 20 years was re-detained on Oct. 7, 2025. He has been held over five months at Port Isabel as India continues refusing his travel documents.Los Fresnos, TX · Oct 7, 2025 · CourtListener
Where people stood at the latest report
Each square is one percent of these stories. Read it with care: people who are still detained or already deported have far less access to reporters and lawyers than people who were released, so this mix reflects who gets covered more than how cases end.
- Deported 27%
- Still detained 45%
- Released 18%
- Unknown 9%