Four detainees at the Folkston ICE Processing Center in rural Georgia created a five-minute video using the facility’s video conferencing technology to document conditions inside and criticize the immigration court system. The men, from various countries, described a legal process they characterized as intentionally dysfunctional, designed to keep people in federal custody for extended periods. The video was distributed via YouTube and prompted retaliation, with the men placed in segregation. Subsequently, approximately 45 additional detainees wrote an open letter detailing conditions, and around 73 began a hunger strike.
Detainees at Folkston participate in a work program earning $1 per day, wages sufficient only for basic necessities like 10-minute phone calls through the facility’s tablet system. The facility uses GettingOut software owned by Telmate, a prison communications company, to manage detainee communications. Video calls, messages, and photos require payment through this system. The Federal Communications Commission initially capped communication rates at 11 to 25 cents per minute in 2024, though that cap was raised by up to 83 percent following Trump’s return to office in 2025. Detainees frequently lose access to deposited funds after accounts become inactive for 180 days, with recovery requiring contact with a hard-to-reach customer service line.
The Folkston facility, which once operated as a prison, is owned and operated by the GEO Group, a publicly traded company. The company receives over $1.5 million monthly to run the facility, which has a capacity of 780 but maintains a guaranteed minimum occupancy of 544. GEO Group’s stock price increased more than 75 percent following the 2024 election, and the company received $165 million in government contracts earlier this year. The company also donated $1.4 million to a Trump-affiliated super PAC in July.
Detainees allege they have been confined for years with limited options for release through parole, bond, asylum approval, or deportation. Federal data indicates that of 143,729 detained cases in Georgia immigration courts over the past year, 81 percent involved unrepresented individuals, significantly reducing their likelihood of receiving relief. Immigration judges in Atlanta denied 89 percent of asylum cases decided in the current fiscal year, compared to 63 percent in 2023.
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