Poor conditions at Georgia detention center raise alarm for detained S. Korean workers
The interior of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Folkston, Ga., on Nov. 16, 2021. Courtesy of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
The facility in Georgia where more than 300 South Korean workers detained by U.S. immigration authorities are being held has a documented history of poor hygiene and unsafe conditions, raising concerns about potential health risks if detention periods are prolonged.
Most of the South Koreans detained Thursday (local time) during a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid targeting undocumented workers at the Hyundai-LG Energy Solution battery plant construction site in Georgia are currently being held at the Folkston ICE Processing Center.
The detention center has previously been flagged for substandard conditions in unannounced inspections by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General.
A report released in June 2022, based on an inspection conducted from Nov. 16–18, 2021, identified “numerous violations that compromised the health, safety and rights of detainees.” The report, titled “Violations of ICE Detention Standards at Folkston ICE Processing Center and Folkston Annex,” highlighted several areas in need of improvement.
“According to our observations, Folkston facilities were unsanitary and dilapidated, with torn mattresses, water leaks and standing water, mold growth and water damage, rundown showers, mold, and debris in the ventilation system, insect infestations, lack of access to hot showers, inoperable toilets, an inoperable thermometer display on a kitchen freezer, and an absence of hot meals," the report stated. “These living conditions not only violated ICE detention standards and detainee rights, but also posed health and safety risks to detainees,” it continued.
Shower area of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Folkston, Ga., on Nov. 16, 2021. The photo was taken during the inspection by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Courtesy of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
The report features several photos highlighting areas of hygiene concern, including “extensive mold growth and signs of water damage throughout the facility.”
It states: "In both Folkston IPC and Folkston Annex, we observed showers that were rundown and covered with mold and peeling paint ... We also observed dirty and moldy ceiling air vents and signs of water damage in nearly every dormitory visited.”
The report also criticized the facility’s treatment of detainees. “Facility staff reported that Folkston policy was to handcuff detainees in disciplinary segregation anytime they left their cell, without further rationale for the restraints, which contradicts ICE standards.”
A later report published in September 2023 by the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman noted that, while areas of noncompliance were identified, “it notes that the facility took timely corrective action to address seven issues.”
Ventilation ducts blackened by mold and a ceiling damaged by leaks are visible at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Folkston, Ga., in this photo taken on Nov. 16, 2021, during an inspection by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Courtesy of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Despite improvements, human rights groups have continued to express concern.
In April 2024, Jaspal Singh, a 57-year-old Indian national detained at Folkston after being arrested for entering the U.S. illegally, died while in ICE custody, prompting criticism over inadequate medical response.
The Atlanta-based Asian Americans Advancing Justice criticized ICE’s raid at the Hyundai-LG battery plant construction site, highlighting the “inhumane conditions and violations” at Folkston.
The detention facility, owned and operated by the private GEO Group, has a capacity to house roughly 1,100 detainees. Constructed in 2008, it began housing detainees in 2017 and serves as a holding center where ICE investigates the immigration status and alleged offenses of detainees, determining whether to deport them or take other actions.