The No Detention Centers in Michigan coalition says loved ones of people detained at the North Lake Processing Center told the group that they're worried about conditions in the facility. The processing center, located in Baldwin, Michigan, is currently the largest detention center in the Midwest.
The center is privately owned by The GEO Group, which says it's the largest service provider to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
J.R. Martin is with No Detention Centers in Michigan.
“We know that ICE is ramping up their activity around the region,” Martin said.
In December 2024, The GEO Group announced a $70 million investment in expanding Immigration and Customs Enforcement services.
A spokesperson from The GEO Group said, “We are proud of the role our company has played for 40 years to support the law enforcement mission of ICE.” The GEO Group said it offers a variety of support services, including medical care, family visitations, translation services, dietician-approved meals, and recreational amenities.
Detention center conditions
No Detention Centers in Michigan said it has been in touch with several family members of detainees. Mindy Domke with the organization said that many are afraid to speak out for fear of retaliation. She said when the coalition traveled to Baldwin to protest the detention center, The GEO Group restricted detained individuals’ access to their attorneys and halted visitations.
Both Martin and Domke said they have received reports about worsening conditions at the center. They said family members said that there have been lockdowns that last for several hours, when previously they had been around 45 minutes. Domke said that detainees are no longer able to eat in the dining hall. Instead, food is brought straight to their cells.
A spokesperson from The GEO Group said, “At locations where GEO provides health care services, individuals are provided with access to medical professionals. Ready access to off-site Emergency Medical Services and local community hospitals is also provided when needed.”
It’s very difficult to get an exact number of people being held in the facility, Martin said. Martin estimated that the center has reached half capacity, holding around 800 people.
Martin said that ICE has been encouraging individuals to sign self-deportation papers. But Martin added that many of these cases have been delayed, and he has heard reports of inmate protests over the prolonged process and lack of transparency.
According to the National Immigration Law Center, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) has approved a new ICE policy that will significantly increase the number of immigrants who must stay in detention while their cases are being decided. The group said it makes release on bond more difficult.
“Ultimately it is an inherently inhumane and unjust system,” Martin said. “Whether someone has a criminal conviction or not, we don’t think they should be detained and taken to a place like North Lake."
“The best work we do right now is building relationships with detainees and advocating to defend human rights,” Domke said. “It's so important. We also know that it's crucial to document everything that's happening there so that we can share it with the public. And we're refusing to look away.”
