Kurdish hunger striker says ICE force-feeding ‘mentally broke me’

Kurdish Activist Recounts Trauma of Eight-Month Force-Feeding in US Detention

Wanderstayfinder.com – Gabar Choli, a Kurdish filmmaker and human rights advocate, has shared his harrowing experience of being force-fed for eight consecutive months while held in American immigration facilities. The ordeal, which he describes as having shattered his mental resilience, occurred after his asylum request was rejected and he initiated a hunger strike to protest detention conditions. Now residing in Canada following his deportation, Choli detailed how the coercive medical procedures—widely condemned as torture by global human rights organizations—were administered frequently, sometimes twice each day. His account provides rare insight into a practice that has largely remained concealed from public scrutiny within the US immigration system.

A Personal Breaking Point

“It just broke me, mentally broke me,” Choli recalled during a candid conversation. The emotional toll became so severe that he reached a moment of profound introspection. “It came to a point that I decided to write my body an apology letter.” The force-feeding took place at the Port Isabel federal detention center located in Los Fresnos, south Texas. According to documentation reviewed by journalists, the procedure began in late May 2025 and continued until Choli’s deportation in January 2026. He initiated his hunger strike as both a protest against facility conditions and a strategy to accelerate resolution of his immigration status. Choli described the physical process vividly. Detention guards would hold him down while medical personnel inserted a feeding tube through his nasal passage, threading it down his esophagus into his stomach. Nutritional liquid was then pumped directly into his system. “I was respectful. I just told them I am protesting for humane treatment, nothing else,” he explained. “But they were determined to break me.”

Expanding Scope of Involuntary Treatment

Recent investigations have revealed that the scope of involuntary medical procedures in immigration detention extends beyond isolated cases. Court documents indicate that the second Trump administration utilized judicial orders to authorize medical interventions for hunger strikers. Initial reports suggested at least ten individuals were subject to such measures, but Department of Homeland Security sources later confirmed the figure is substantially higher. Between January 2025 and August 4, 2026, immigration authorities secured court orders for involuntary medical treatment covering eighteen hunger strikers. While some detainees accept force-feeding, others strategically consume food at the final moment when presented with a court order, thereby avoiding the procedure. According to DHS representatives, involuntary medical treatment is administered specifically to prevent imminent life-threatening situations or death. Court terminology classifies this as an umbrella category encompassing force-feeding among other interventions.

Legal Framework and Official Response

Court records pertaining to Choli’s situation reveal that immigration officials sought authorization to conduct routine examinations, laboratory testing, and hydration administration. The legal documents also permitted the use of physical restraints to facilitate involuntary monitoring, treatment, and nutrient delivery through intravenous methods or nasogastric tubes. When contacted for comment, immigration authorities and the Department of Homeland Security provided a joint statement addressing the practice. “ICE respects an individual’s right to refuse medical treatment where appropriate,” an unnamed spokesperson stated. “However, when an individual’s medical condition presents a serious risk of death or permanent harm, or when other compelling legal or operational interests are implicated, ICE may seek judicial authorization for appropriate medical interventions consistent with applicable law. Any involuntary medical treatment is undertaken only pursuant to legal authority and under the direction of qualified medical professionals.” The spokesperson further emphasized institutional commitment to detainee welfare. “ICE is committed to ensuring the safety, security, and well-being of all individuals in its custody.”

Choli’s Journey and Broader Significance

Federal court documentation spanning dozens of pages substantiates Choli’s account, including sworn declarations from immigration physicians and officers. Combined with expert testimonies and Choli’s own narrative, his case illuminates a previously opaque process. Choli may represent the longest documented instance of force-feeding within immigration detention history. He initially arrived in Blaine, Washington state, in 2022 after residing in Vancouver, where he worked as a filmmaker and championed Kurdish independence. His origins trace to what he describes as occupied Kurdish territory within Iran, from which he relocated to Canada before traveling to the United States. The implications of Choli’s experience extend beyond his personal suffering. His case highlights tensions between individual rights and institutional authority, particularly regarding medical autonomy for detainees. As immigration detention policies continue evolving, questions persist about transparency, accountability, and the humanitarian dimensions of involuntary medical procedures. Forced feeding represents more than a medical intervention; it embodies a complex intersection of legal power, bodily autonomy, and human dignity. Choli’s willingness to publicly recount his experience contributes to ongoing discourse about detention practices and their psychological consequences for those subjected to them.