SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KGTV) — More than 80 people inside two California detention centers, Mesa Verde in Bakersfield and the Golden State Annex in McFarland, are on hunger strike in protest of the conditions inside. On Sunday, a rally was held in solidarity just outside the Western Region Detention Facility downtown.
Multiple groups took part in Sunday’s demonstration and shared with ABC 10News their personal reasons for being there.
“It goes beyond just emotional support, it's providing solidarity…active solidarity,” said Benjamin Prado. “We all have family members either in detention whether it be at these private facilities or not. Some people have been in there and have suffered the consequences of these detention centers.”
“Personally it’s just my people are getting caged, and if we can do something about it then that’s why I’m here,” said Ruth Mendez.
Katie Kavanagh, an attorney with the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice, spoke at Sunday’s event. She says she has seen the conditions inside ICE detention centers firsthand.
“Terrible medical care… people wait weeks to see a doctor, People who are in mental health crisis who wait for weeks to see a psychologist or psychiatrist. The food is atrocious, it's not nutritious. People have shown me photos of cockroaches in the food, moldy food, expired food,” she said.
Kavanagh encouraged people to write to their elected representatives to raise awareness about conditions affecting detainees.
ABC 10News has reached out to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment on the ongoing hunger strikes and has not yet received a response.
