BALDWIN, Mich.—Hundreds of detained immigrants have launched a rolling hunger and work strike at the North Lake Detention Center, the largest detention center in the Midwest, operated by the private prison corporation GEO Group in Baldwin, Michigan. They are protesting what they describe as inhumane conditions, medical neglect, and a systematic denial of due process.
The strike, which began on April 19 and escalated into a coordinated action across all facility blocks on Saturday, April 25, involves a majority of the prison population. Organizers with No Detention Centers Michigan report that detainees are refusing to eat and refusing to work to demand immediate improvements to their treatment and living conditions.
“We began our strike on Sunday, April 19,” said one striker who spoke with organizers via phone. “Some people involved have been sanctioned, others do not have any violations, but they have all suffered abuse… We are all committed. We want them to listen to us, not hide us.”
The North Lake Detention Center, located in rural Osceola County, has long been a focal point for immigrant rights activists. Operated by the GEO Group—one of the largest private prison corporations in the United States—the facility holds hundreds of individuals awaiting immigration hearings.
The detainees cite a pattern of medical negligence as a primary driver of the protest. According to multiple testimonies, medical appointments are routinely canceled, and the only treatment offered for serious ailments—including tooth infections, diabetes, and high blood pressure—is over-the-counter medication like Tylenol or aspirin.
“The conditions of the prison are truly deplorable,” said a male prisoner in a recorded statement. “The bathroom walls are completely yellow. The ceilings are cracking. They won’t give any medicine other than Tylenol or Advil. If you are in pain, they don’t care about your symptoms. They just tell you to take Tylenol, and that’s it.”
Beyond the physical conditions, detainees are sounding the alarm about the lack of due process. They report that federal judges are issuing excessively high bond amounts and denying asylum cases arbitrarily, while Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents cover up the strike and abuse inside the facility.
“They are lying, like always, when they say there is no strike,” the striker continued. “They never admit the truth. They hide what is happening, they abuse us. They treat us like murderers, and we are not.”
The human cost of this system was laid bare in the harrowing testimony of a female detainee who recounted her abduction by ICE in February 2026. She described being followed by men in civilian clothes carrying baseball bats, who dragged her from her car, beat her, and verbally abused her before transporting her to a detention center in Detroit.
“I was terrified,” she recalled. “They kicked me in the back. They started cursing me… The person who was telling me, ‘Shut up, f-cking b-tch,’ was an old man with a long beard. He kept screaming in my ears… pulling my hair brutally, hitting my face against the seat, repeatedly.”
She described being held for 21 days without access to a lawyer or family, denied showers for the first week, and subjected to cruel mockery by guards. Her story highlights the stark contrast between the legal protections promised to immigrants and the reality of their treatment.
Despite the isolation, the strike has sparked a wave of solidarity on the outside. On Sunday, April 26, more than 70 supporters traveled from across Michigan to the North Lake facility to show their backing. Organizers chose a side gate as the picket location because it was the only spot from which prisoners could see the crowd through their windows.
The rally featured the reading of prisoner testimonies, the playing of song requests sent from inside, and a unified message of defiance. “The picket was intended to show solidarity for the strikers and prisoners, and show them that the people of Michigan have not forgotten them,” said an organizer.
As the strike continues into the week, the detainees remain resolute. “Almost all the people inside are participating in the hunger and work strike in some way,” the striker affirmed. “None of us are bad people. We are human beings, and there’s only one God who looks down from above and can bestow justice.”
No Detention Centers Michigan, and faith leaders from across the state have planned another solidarity picket at the North Lake facility for May 17th at 3 p.m.
Organizers are also calling for letters of solidarity with the strikers. Letters can be sent to:
Grand Rapids Mennonite Fellowship
Attn: Solidarity Fast
1343 Buffalo Ave NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49505
While ICE and the GEO Group have yet to issue a public response, the mobilization of No Detention Centers Michigan signals a growing resistance to the detention industrial complex in the region. The strikers have made it clear: they will not stop until their voices are heard and their humanity is recognized.
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