A 40-year-old Kurdish film-maker and activist named Gabar Choli has recounted his experience of involuntary force-feeding while detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Port Isabel service processing center in south Texas. Choli, who had sought asylum in the United States, was arrested in February 2025 during an ICE check-in and began a hunger strike in March to protest detention conditions and pressure to sign a deportation order to Iran.
According to court records and interviews reviewed by The Guardian, Choli was force-fed intermittently from May 2025 until his deportation in January. Medical experts who reviewed portions of his case described the practice as torture. Choli reported experiencing physical injuries including a torn nose, damaged esophagus, swollen sinuses, and stomach problems, along with severe psychological distress. He stated that guards would restrain him while medical staff inserted feeding tubes through his nose, and that he was not provided legal representation throughout the proceedings.
An investigation found that the Trump administration sought court orders to force-feed at least 18 hunger strikers in ICE detention between January 2025 and August 2026, according to Department of Homeland Security sources. The DHS stated that involuntary medical treatment is pursued only when an individual’s medical condition poses serious risk or when other compelling legal interests are implicated, and that such treatment occurs under judicial authorization and qualified medical professionals. Federal judges approved force-feeding orders without hearing from the detainees or their attorneys in most cases reviewed.
Medical and legal experts questioned the practice, citing international standards that recognize an individual’s right to refuse medical treatment if of sound mind, and noting that immigration detention is civil rather than criminal in nature. Choli was deported to Canada on 6 January, where he has since described ongoing physical and psychological effects from his detention experience. He stated his goal in speaking publicly is to help others in ICE custody.
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