DALLAS (TIP): 14 South Asian detainees, from Bangladesh and India (known as the “LaSalle14”) at the LaSalle Detention Center started a hunger strike at breakfast time on October 19. All of the strikers are asylum seekers, and some have been held for up to 2 years.
On October 28th, ICE attempted a forced deportation of LaSalle14 striker, Harekrushna Patel (A#206-686-481) by pushing him on to a plane back to India where Mr. Patel would have faced immediate danger and risk. Mr. Patel has been in detention for nearly 2 years, and his wife is waiting for him in NYC. Due to the failure of the attempted deportation, Mr. Patel was brought back to the facility and has been moved into medical isolation against his will.
Last October 28 night, the LaSalle hunger strikers received news about the beginning of a hunger strike by 27 women at the Hutto Detention facility. Upon hearing this news, the LaSalle14 delivered a statement of solidarity which can be heard online at
The LaSalle14 hunger strike has been in coordination with DRUM – Desis Rising Up & Moving. Director of DRUM, Fahd Ahmed stated “with the series of hunger strikes, and now even communication between the hunger strikers, we can clearly see that this country’s detention policies are in crisis. Can you imagine the conditions that would cause hundreds of detainees in different facilities to put their bodies on the line?”
Since the last 3 days, ICE officials have been pressuring the strikers to contact the consulates of their home countries, which is alarming since it is these same governments that all the hunger strikers are escaping and seeking asylum from.
There is an online petition by the Not1More Campaign for the LaSalle14: