Exclusive: court orders seen by Guardian show agency given approval to fit Texas detainee with tube without his consent
ICE given permission to force-feed Cuban hunger striker with gastric tube Exclusive: court orders seen by Guardian show agency given approval to fit Texas detainee with tube without his consent José Olivares in New York Sat 5 Sep 2026 06.00 EDT Prefer the Guardian on Google Federal immigration officials quietly received permission from a judge in recent weeks to force-feed a detained Cuban hunger striker inside a Texas detention center, including with the use of a rare, nonconsensual surgical procedure, court records reveal.
The man is likely the 19th hunger striker in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention where the agency has had an application approved to conduct “involuntary medical procedures” since January 2025. The rising number of cases under the second Trump administration has alarmed advocates amid wide-ranging accusations of mistreatment inside facilities nationwide.
Court orders from the southern district of Texas federal court seen by the Guardian suggest ICE followed through with force-feeding via a nasal tube on the Cuban man in August, since agency officials successfully requested this week that the court order be extended. He is currently detained at the Montgomery ICE processing center, a privately-run detention facility near Houston.
While in custody, it is the responsibility of the state to keep you alive and well.
I don’t agree with that, because this is a violation of their bodily autonomy, and as we all know, inmate healthcare is atrocious. But that’s the justification.
Then they should stop withholding medical treatment and basic hygeine supplies.
There’s no need for surgery to keep a healthy adult alive. The article does not mention any medical condition that would require a surgical g-tube placement. This requires justification or it’s just straight up torture, even within the twisted logic of prisons.
For that part, I know of no justification.