About 330 immigrant detainees at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Wash., have refused to eat or drink since Friday—and won't until they receive better working conditions and wages, among other requests. Initially, 750 had refused meals, according to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official. The detention center is privately owned and operated by GEO Group, a government contractor. According to the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, the detainees are protesting "the ongoing deportations overseen by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the inhumane conditions at the for-profit detention center.” ICE says the hunger strike is complicated by the fact some of the detainees have histories of “gang violence, rape, and murder," so extra safety precautions are needed.
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