Originally published on https://nodetentioncentersmi.org/2026/05/18/press-release-in-wake-of-mass-hunger-strike-conditions-at-north-lake-processing-center-draw-international-condemnation-and-concern/
For Immediate Release: Monday, May 18th, 2026
Contact: No Detention Centers in Michigan, info@nodetentioncentersmi.org
Baldwin, MI — A month after hundreds of people held in immigration detention at the North Lake Processing Center launched rolling hunger and work strikes across multiple units in response to inhumane conditions, inadequate medical care, and legal delays, new reports and organizing have continued to highlight the urgency of their unmet demands.
Owned and operated by the Florida-based GEO Group since its construction as a for-profit youth prison in the late 1990s, North Lake is currently the largest detention center in the Midwest. The strikes beginning last month—which spread without formal leadership and were met with threats of retaliation from GEO staff—echo earlier chapters in the facility’s history. Extensively documented hunger strikes at North Lake in 2020 led to blanket denials from the GEO Group, just as Immigration and Customs Enforcement attempted to deny recent actions despite participants’ testimony to attorneys, family members, and reporters.
The partnership between GEO and ICE has faced new scrutiny in the past week following the announcement that David Venturella, a former GEO executive, will lead the federal agency.