In a harrowing account, Kurdish film-maker and activist Gabar Choli recounts his experience of being force-fed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while detained in the United States. Choli, who was on hunger strike to protest against harsh conditions and seek release or deportation, was subjected to a brutal routine of being wrestled to the ground, shackled, and forced to undergo a traumatic feeding tube procedure. This practice, widely condemned as torture by human rights organizations, is a last resort for immigrants to protest against the lack of progress in their immigration cases. Choli's experience, which included swollen sinuses, a damaged esophagus, stomach problems, and psychological torment, raises serious questions about the treatment of immigrants in the US. The Trump administration's use of court orders to subject hunger strikers to involuntary medical procedures, including force-feeding, has been revealed, with sources citing a higher number of cases than previously acknowledged. This practice, in Choli's case, involved over 100 nasogastric tube placements, which is considered torture by medical experts. Choli's story serves as a stark reminder of the inhumane conditions faced by immigrants in the US and the need for reform in the immigration system.
