Immigrant detainees in GEO Group-run ICE facilities in Kern County are earning just one dollar a day for their labor, sparking a second labor and hunger strike to protest poor working and living conditions. The detainees, including Ever Oropeza-Paz at the Golden State Annex facility, are expressing outrage at being forced to work for minimal pay. Oropeza-Paz shared his experience of assisting an inmate with mental health issues for $1 a day, highlighting the exploitative nature of the system.
The strike coincides with a larger debate in California about the treatment of detainees and prisoners, questioning whether they should be forced to work and how much they should be paid. The phone charges at the Golden State Annex facility further compound the issue, with high rates for calls and additional burdens like minimum deposits. Scrubbing toilets for an entire day may only earn a detainee a brief phone call, demonstrating the stark inequality within the system.
The GEO Group, a for-profit company running federal immigration detention centers, reported billions in revenues last year while detainees struggled to make ends meet. This exploitation of cheap labor and high phone charges for detainees has sparked outrage and calls for reform in the treatment of immigrants in detention centers. The strike serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges faced by detainees and the need for greater oversight and protection of their rights.
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Photo credit calmatters.org
