Immigrants detained at the North Lakes Processing Center in Michigan described challenging conditions and long periods of confinement, according to interviews conducted by Block Club Chicago and released on Apr. 10. Several immigrants said they have been denied bond without clear justification, are far from their families, and face difficulties accessing legal representation while being held at the facility operated by GEO Group for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The situation highlights ongoing concerns about treatment of immigrants in detention centers across the United States, especially those managed by private companies. Detained individuals reported obstacles such as limited access to medical care, inadequate food, difficulty gathering evidence for their cases, and delays even after receiving deportation orders.
Luis Fernandez Escalante, a Venezuelan asylum-seeker who fled political persecution and was arrested during his wife’s immigration check-in in October 2025, said he has struggled with separation from his family. “We’re treated like criminals,” Fernandez Escalante said. He also described harsh conditions both at the Broadview processing center near Chicago and later at North Lakes Processing Center.
Other detainees echoed these concerns. José García from Nicaragua said he remains detained months after an immigration judge ordered his deportation: “They don’t want us here, but they don’t let us go,” García said.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security stated that detained immigrants have access to free legal services and various ways to connect with attorneys. ICE maintains that claims of poor conditions are false: “ICE facilities are bound by the National Detention Standards… These standards are not optional — they are mandatory and strictly monitored,” an agency spokesperson said.
GEO Group responded that it provides all required support services listed on its website including around-the-clock medical care: “In the event issues are identified, we quickly resolve all of ICE’s concerns as required by ICE’s Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan,” a company spokesperson said.
Despite these assurances from officials and contractors, several immigrants interviewed described feeling helpless or pressured into leaving the country due to prolonged detention or lack of options within a system they say is difficult to navigate without outside help.
