All of the detainees at the El Paso Hunger Strike were asylum seekers who had passed their credible fear interviews and been given a “parole notification” – meaning that they had been interviewed by an immigration agent who determined they face legitimate threats if deported, and that ICE should have released them.

Instead, some ahd been held in detention 9-11 months, and recently, at least 33 detainees have had this parole notification and credible fear findings revoked. One asylum seeker was already deported despite the fact that he faces life threatening danger in Bangladesh.

After the hunger strike began, officials have tried to isolate the strikers, and continue to target, isolate and intimidate specific individuals.

The demands of the detainees were:

1. DHS must stop their deportations and investigate the allegations below
2. DOJ and the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) must investigate whether these individuals were given a fair and full hearing, including access to interpretation that they could understand, access to their own documents and decisions in their cases
3. DHS must release asylum seekers from detentio​n​
4. Transfer these individuals to detention facilities that are closer to their families
5. Stop the disparate treatment of South Asian immigrants detained in DHS facilities and ensure that these individuals are being provided with interpreters
6. DHS must provide adequate access to basic medical care and provide interpretation services.The hunger strike was sparked by the deportation of one of the men, but the demands are based on their experience and treatment during the time that they have been at the detention center.

The hunger strikers report that:

• There is harsh treatment of South Asian detainees
• Many of the detainees are being forced to sign travel documents, and when they refuse to sign, they have transferred them to other facilities or threatened them with 4-10 years in prison
• ​T​here is no access to adequate medical care, and detainees are told to “drink water” when they complain of health issue​s
• There are no interpreters at the court during their immigration proceedings, and some have reported hostility from the immigration judge, one person remembering the judge saying that there was too much money being spent on them, and that their deportation would help the U.S. save resources.
• Their requests to be moved closer to family have been ignored.

Additionally, hunger strikers reported to advocates that credible fear approvals and parole have been revoked based on their affiliation to a conservative political party, the Bangladesh National Party. DHS automatically classifies all BNP members as national security threats, making them ineligible for asylum.

Moreover, we are very concerned that critical legal papers are not given to these asylum seekers, making it impossible for them to file their appeals on time. Most of them have already missed their deadlines because they did not have their documents on them.

During the hunger strike, 11 of the men were released. The others are still fighting their cases but ended the hunger strike on October 21, 2015.