Detainees at Terminal Island Protest With a Hunger Strike

Nearly 100 detainees at an Immigration and Naturalization Service center on Terminal Island went on a hunger strike Wednesday to protest what one described as “horrible” living conditions.

An INS official denied that detainees are neglected and said the protest had not disrupted its operation.

“At this point, it’s very early. We don’t consider it a hunger strike until it has gone on for 72 hours,” INS spokeswoman Virginia Kice said. “We will continue to monitor the situation, but at this point our first concern is ensuring the health of our detainees.”

People suspected of violating immigration laws are held at the center. One of them, interviewed by phone Wednesday, maintained that living conditions there are deplorable and characterized by overcrowding and a lack of some necessities, such as soap.

Kice said the number of immigrants at the center, 639, is within the center’s capacity. The day before the hunger strike, she said, INS officials had an informal meeting with a group of detainees and heard their concerns.

“We’re being treated like animals,” said David Kumar, a 27-year-old native of Kashmir, who has been held at the center since early September.

“We’re not getting the proper attention. The situation is horrible here,” he said. “We went for six days without soap and two days without brushing our teeth. We can’t get bonds so we can go out and live like decent human beings.”

Kice said many of the detainees want to be released on bonds, but are unaware that releases are handled on a case-by-case basis. For example, she said, some detainees are released on their own recognizance but only if they have family in the immediate area. “A lot of them are just confused and upset about immigration procedures,” she said.

But Kumar said the INS has not been consistent in its policy on releases.

“Some of us have been told we have to stay here for a year or two years,” he said. “We’re not criminals.”

Kice said she has not been told how long the protest might last. Kumar said he and other detainees are prepared to go without meals until their demands for better treatment are met.