ICE Detainee on Hunger Strike Could Be Force-Fed

Newsweek

3 days ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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The federal government is seeking permission to force-feed an Iranian asylum-seeker on hunger strike while detained at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Arizona.
On May 31, agents arrested Mehrad Asadi Eidivand outside his home in Phoenix, and he has been held in an ICE detention facility in Florence since then.
According to court documents filed on Monday, the government is seeking to "monitor Defendant Mehrad Asadieidivand's medical condition and to administer intravenous fluids and medications without Mr. Asadieidivand's consent."
Newsweek contacted the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE for comment by email outside regular working hours.
An illustrative photo of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents with an inset of Mehrad Asadi Eidivand, whom ICE agents arrested outside his home in Phoenix on May 31.
An illustrative photo of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents with an inset of Mehrad Asadi Eidivand, whom ICE agents arrested outside his home in Phoenix on May 31.
Bryan Cox/ICE/AP/Eidivand Family
Why It Matters
The outcome of this court request could set a precedent on how far U.S. immigration authorities may go in overriding detainees' refusal of food and medical care.
Since returning to office in January, President Donald Trump has overseen a major crackdown on immigration. Under his administration, ICE has ramped up arrests across the country and vowed to remove millions of individuals living in the U.S. without legal status.
What To Know
The court filings said Asadi Eidivand engaged in a "dry hunger strike" from June 6 to 13, which resulted in him being taken to the hospital and later diagnosed with acute kidney injury.
The documents added that the government was granted a temporary restraining order to "involuntarily monitor, hydrate and feed Mr. Asadieidivand," but officials later moved to dismiss the action when he ended his hunger strike on June 16.
However, on June 16, Asadi Eidivand "declared his intention to begin a second hunger strike," and the action was officially declared on June 20 after he missed nine meals, according to the filings. As of breakfast on June 23, Asadi Eidivand had missed 18 meals and had not consumed any food or water.
The filings said that on June 22, he "began refusing to allow medical staff to perform vital sign assessments, physical examinations, and routine laboratory testing."
"He is reporting full body muscle pain, palpitations, dizziness, weakness and nausea. He will not sit or stand for medical or custody staff and is refusing any hospital transfer," the documents continued.
The government is concerned that Asadi Eidivand could "decompensate very quickly" as his second hunger strike began before he fully recovered from his acute kidney injury.
The filings also said that if Asadi Eidivand continued to refuse to cooperate with medical staff, "soft restraints may be required to immobilize him and prevent unnecessary injury to both Mr. Asadieidivand and the medical staff."
The government said the DHS secretary, through ICE, was "authorized to provide medical treatment to aliens who require treatment during removal proceedings."
"There are legitimate government interests in preserving the life of an immigration detainee, maintaining security and orderly operations in immigration detention facilities, and avoiding burdensome and unnecessary litigation," it added.
Rebecca Cheaves, Asadi Eidivand's attorney, told Newsweek that he had the legal right to undertake a hunger strike. "He is an example of what the Founding Fathers wanted for all people. When our natural rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness become violated and destructive, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it," she said.
Asadi Eidivand entered the U.S. from Mexico in May 2022, requesting asylum at the California border, The Arizona Republic reported, citing his sister-in-law, Linet Vartanians.
Authorities detained him for 90 days before release, during which time he complied with court protocol and received authorization to work and drive, according to Vartanians.
What People Are Saying
Rebecca Cheaves, Asadi Eidivand's attorney, told Newsweek in a statement: "Considering that Mehrad is being illegally detained and that he should be out on humanitarian parole as he was processed in 2022 as an arriving alien, found to be credible and granted a positive finding from an asylum officer for fear of return to Iran for being a Christian, this is inhumane treatment.
"Due to the discrimination of ICE, he was targeted and arrested in May 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona, under false pretenses and lies that ICE officers told him outside of his home to arrest him. Now Mehrad sits in federal immigration custody in Florence, Arizona, for absolutely no reason. Instead of doing what is right, they want to force-feed him? That is insane. I believe ICE only is trying to protect their own interests and do not care about Mehrad's medical condition. They just don't want him to die on their watch."
The government said in its filing: "Continued fasting will result in permanent damage to internal organs and has the potential to become life-threatening. Specifically, Mr. Asadieidivand is at risk of experiencing metabolic acidosis and life-threatening dehydration, which can lead to organ damage and decreases access to peripheral veins, which would be critical should he reverse his hunger strike since this is how fluids would be rapidly provided to him. At that point, intravenous infusion of liquids, including electrolytes, multivitamins, glucose, and potassium, will be immediately necessary. …
"Based on Mr. Asadieidivand's current physical condition and the inability to monitor his medical status and condition, it is the opinion of the medical providers at FDC that that involuntary medical and laboratory monitoring are necessary."
What Happens Next
A federal judge has yet to rule on the government's application for authority to force-feed Asadi Eidivand.
Cheaves told The Arizona Republic that she had managed to get a judge to schedule a hearing for Asadi Eidivand's asylum case in September.