Russians held in US immigration detention to launch hunger strike over poor conditions and mistreatment
Fourteen Russian citizens held in US immigration detention have issued a collective statement protesting conditions at the Georgia facility where they are being held, saying they are denied medical care, deprived of sleep and fresh air, and fed poorly, according to independent outlets Vot Tak and Agentstvo.
The letter, dated 14 September, was drafted by detainees Alexey Kovalko and Alexander Borovkov and concerns the D. Ray James Processing Center in the town of Folkston. The Russians there have been in the facility for periods ranging from five to 30 months.
The document says they receive almost no medical care and are given painkillers at best. One of them says he has been trying for almost two years to see a dentist, without success.
Kovalko says he lost consciousness while having his blood drawn in January 2025. When he came to and asked permission to lie down because of dizziness and weakness, immigration officers took him to an empty concrete room with a steel toilet and no mattress and kept him there for several hours.
Another detainee who went to see a psychologist was stripped, given a hospital gown and put for three days in a concrete room with the light on constantly, where he had to sleep on the floor. He fell ill afterward.
The authors also complain about the food and water. They say detainees are given mainly canned or frozen food, and that spoiled food is passed off as fresh. The drinking water has a bad smell.
They also say they are often denied outdoor time as punishment and are prevented from staying in touch with lawyers and relatives. Other complaints include constant noise, lack of sleep, and dirt and mould.
The Russians accuse the warden of xenophobia. Vot Tak reports that they appear to be referring to Tony Normand. Before Trump's inauguration, he allegedly told detainees, “We're going easy on you for now because we have to put up with this guy we didn't vote for. But soon our guy will be in power, and then you'll see what a real roller coaster feels like.” They also quote him as saying, “Don't worry, we'll ship you back to your cozy Gulag.”
Relatives of the detainees have appealed to the human rights group Project South, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the DHS Office of Inspector General and the American Correctional Association.
The Russian detainees plan to announce a hunger strike in the near future. They will reportedly be joined by detainees from Latin American countries, Iran, Afghanistan, China, and other countries, for a total of about 50 people. The strike will begin ahead of an expected inspection of the facility.
The wife of one detainee said conditions began improving on the eve of the inspection. She noted that the detainees fear this could influence the inspectors’ assessment.
About 300 to 400 people may have been deported to Russia from the US in the past year alone, according to Dmitry Valuev, president of Russian America for Democracy in Russia. On Monday, it was reported that a Russian activist deported from the U.S. had been sentenced to six years in prison on charges of “justifying terrorism”.