In the correctional center of Winn, Louisiana, a group of Tajik migrants has declared a hunger strike.
According to unconfirmed reports, the group of Tajik citizens who illegally crossed the U.S. border through Mexico numbers 100 people. The goal of the illegal border crossing by Tajiks with dual citizenship of Russia and Tajikistan is to obtain asylum status in the U.S. While awaiting court hearings, some detainees have been in temporary detention for 4 to 6 months. The hunger strike, which began in protest against the conditions of detention and the prolonged period of being held in custody in the U.S., has not affected law enforcement in any way. Many migrants have no means of subsistence, as they spent their savings during their detention in Winn. The detainees are fed the same food, boiled rice and beans, and they are housed together with inmates, differing only in the color of their clothing: detainees wear blue-green robes, while convicts wear orange robes. No legal assistance is provided to the detainees, and therefore their chances of obtaining refugee status are very low.
The number of deported Tajik citizens and representatives of other nationalities in the U.S. is expected to rise against the backdrop of the upcoming U.S. presidential elections in November 2024. The issue of illegal migration is coming to the forefront, and therefore the authorities will demonstrate their concern for law enforcement at their southern borders. Illegal migration to the U.S. is exacerbated by Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine, as the number of Tajik citizens who have obtained Russian citizenship has increased, and Russian authorities are using their “new” citizens on the front lines.