FRESNO, Calif. — The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) often detains people waiting for deportation hearings or asylum cases. Some of those facilities are privately run, including the Mesa Verde Detention Center in Bakersfield and the Golden State Annex facility in McFarland.
Jeanne Kuang, a reporter with CalMatters, spoke with KVPR’s Elizabeth Arakelian about reporting which recently found that detainees at these facilities have long complained about working conditions. Many of the detainees participate in a voluntary work program, where they are paid $1 a day.
In 2022, detainees protested working conditions at the two Kern County facilities and held a labor and hunger strike. This month, detainees still upset by workplace conditions are holding another strike.
Listen to the segment in the player on this page.