Dirty Water and Neglect at Wyatt Detention Center Exposed by Protests and FOIA Records

The Wyatt Detention Center in Rhode Island, the state’s only facility holding immigrants under ICE custody, is once again under fire. This time, the Alliance to Mobilize Our Resistance (AMOR) has exposed dangerous, unsanitary drinking conditions that are making detainees sick with symptoms like stomachaches, nausea, and diarrhea.

At a recent protest and press conference, AMOR leaders presented evidence obtained through a series of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, confirming the presence of filthy water inside the detention center. Nearly 60 supporters gathered outside the facility to demand urgent action from state legislators to cancel the ICE contract that keeps the Wyatt operational.

Olobonmi Olatunji, speaking at the rally, reminded attendees of the center’s grim record: medical neglect, lost property, inadequate food, and even the death of detainee Hiu Lui “Jason” Ng in 2008 due to denied medical care. “The Wyatt takes advantage of the blatant lack of accountability afforded to them by our government,” she said.

Sophia de los Reyes, Deportation Defense Organizer at AMOR, detailed the worsening conditions and rising ICE arrests in Rhode Island. “At any given time, about 100 to 110 people are detained at the Wyatt, but since early 2025, we’ve supported over 600 people targeted by ICE here,” she said. “Medical care can take weeks, tests get lost, complaints are dismissed, and medications withheld. People are too afraid to ask for help because they don’t trust the system.”

The Wyatt, originally built in 1993 to financially benefit the City of Central Falls, has struggled with financial mismanagement and staff misconduct. Despite these failures, investors and leadership resist ending the ICE contract, prioritizing profits over human rights.

AMOR has introduced Senate Bill 2278 and House Bill 7436, aiming to cancel the ICE contract and join six other states that have passed similar legislation. Neighboring states like Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New York are also moving to restrict immigrant detention.

Historian Honora Spicer, representing AMOR’s research group, emphasized the importance of centering detainees’ voices. “We’ve submitted 27 FOIA requests this year, reviewed oversight reports, and collected testimonies from over 600 detainees to expose systemic patterns of neglect and abuse,” she said.

AMOR’s demands are clear: end ICE detention at Wyatt, ensure detainees’ access to medical care, clean water, food, and legal services, and stop profiting from human suffering. They envision a community that rejects cages as justice or income and calls on Rhode Island’s legislators to act now.

“We don’t want ICE in our streets, schools, churches, courthouses, or detention centers,” de los Reyes declared. “Cancel the ICE contract. Free them all.”