There continue to be questions about the treatment of immigrant detainees at the North Lake Processing Center in Lake County.
The privately-run facility is the biggest of its kind in the Midwest.
Michigan Public journalist Michelle Jokisch Polo recently reported on the experience of one transgender woman who reported a sexual assault while in custody.
Jokisch Polo has been covering detainees' experiences at North Lake for a while, and one of her sources introduced her to Q, a trans woman from Venezuela.
"Q, who we're calling with one of her initials to protect her privacy, she calls me and begins telling me what happened. She says that, you know, she was sexually harassed and sexually assaulted several times throughout the course, you know, of a couple weeks by her bunkmate, the person she was staying with in the cell block."
As the incidents with the bunkmate escalated, Q says she did try to get help several times by talking to guards and calling a hotline but did not receive a response. She did receive medical attention eventually after an extremely violent attack.
Jokisch Polo says shortly after Q reported the assault, she was transferred across the country to several different facilities, before ultimately being deported back to Venezuela.
Officials for Immigration and Customs Enforcement have said it is still investigating the incident. The local county prosecutor is also conducting an investigation, but it's unclear how those will proceed given that Q and her alleged assailant have both been deported.
Q has told Jokisch Polo she's living in hiding with family.
"She's afraid that if she, you know, goes out and about, she once again might face violence over being gay and trans, and it was that violence that, you know, for she says was what made her come to the United States in the first place," Jokisch Polo explained.
Jokisch Polo says Q's story is one of many of alleged mistreatment at North Lake. Earlier this year, a group of detainees underwent a hunger strike to protest their long stays at the facility and limited access to medical care.
"On a weekly basis, I hear from people there who are having issues with medical care, you know, they feel that they're not being addressed appropriately, and most of the time the prescription that they get is, you know, take some Tylenol and some water," Jokisch Polo said.
Earlier this year, GEO Group, the operator of North Lake, reported a nearly 700% increase in profit between 2025 and 2024, earning $254 million in profit.
Interview Highlights
On getting in contact with Q
Q, who were calling with one of her initials to protect her privacy, she calls me and begins telling me what happened. She says that, you know, she was sexually harassed and sexually assaulted several times throughout the course, you know, of a couple weeks by her bunkmate, the person she was staying with in the cell block. And after we talked, she filed charges against her bunkmate, and then she was transferred out of the facility in Michigan and spent time in Arizona, in Florence [Service Processing Center], and then, you know, eventually deported about a month after first reporting the sexual assault.
On if standard procedure was followed in Q's case
If somebody reports an assault, they have to receive medical care, has to be reported to ICE, it has to be reported to facilities, has to be investigated by both, you know, the company that owns, is overlooking the facility and ICE themselves. But in Q's case, you know, she alleges that when the harassment began, she attempted to call ICE's hotline and the facility several times throughout, you know, several days, but no one ever responded, and it wasn't until she experienced what she calls, like, the most violent sexual assault that the facility ended up following up with the medical care and offering, you know, her to go to the emergency room and being able to file those charges, so you know, you can say that the regulations or the standards were followed, but only when it was when she experienced the worst assault.
On what she hears from detainees
I will say what's changed is that we're seeing fewer people get granted bail while their cases move through immigration court, so instead there's more people waiting there, people without a criminal background. I'm also seeing people who have deportation orders wait and wait weeks and months inside detention for them to actually be deported, and these folks say that, you know, they don't feel like there's anything they can do to speed things up, and recently folks might have heard that there have been people inside the detention facility who started a hunger strike over the long detention stays and limited access to medical care. That hunger strike is no longer ongoing, but I think it speaks to some of the experiences that people are having there.
Interview Transcript
Sophia Saliby: There continue to be questions about the treatment of immigrant detainees at the North Lake Processing Center in Lake County.
The privately-run facility is the biggest of its kind in the Midwest.
Michigan Public journalist Michelle Jokisch Polo recently reported on the experience of one transgender woman who reported a sexual assault while in custody.
She joins me now to talk about her story. Thanks for being here, Michelle.
Michelle Jokisch Polo: Thanks for having me, Sophia.
Saliby: And we'll start with a content warning. This conversation will contain references to sexual assault.
So, Michelle, tell me about this woman Q, and how you got into contact with her.
Jokisch Polo: Yeah, so back in March, early March, I got a call from a detainee at North Lake who mentioned that he had spoken with someone who had reported a sexual assault and asked me if I wanted to interview them, and I remember saying I was open to it, but I didn't really think anything would come from it, but I was very wrong.
The very next day, Q, who were calling with one of her initials to protect her privacy, she calls me and begins telling me what happened. She says that, you know, she was sexually harassed and sexually assaulted several times throughout the course, you know, of a couple weeks by her bunkmate, the person she was staying with in the cell block.
And after we talked, she filed charges against her bunkmate, and then she was transferred out of the facility in Michigan and spent time in Arizona, in Florence [Service Processing Center], and then, you know, eventually deported about a month after first reporting the sexual assault.
Saliby: So, how are these types of incidents supposed to be handled? And did that happen in this case?
Jokisch Polo: Technically, there is this act, or this law, called the Prison Rape Elimination Act, which was passed by Congress in 2003 and then the regulations were finalized in 2014. And so, these essentially say, you know, if somebody reports an assault, they have to receive medical care, has to be reported to ICE, it has to be reported to facilities, has to be investigated by both, you know, the company that owns, is overlooking the facility and ICE themselves.
But in Q's case, you know, she alleges that when the harassment began, she attempted to call ICE's hotline and the facility several times throughout, you know, several days, but no one ever responded, and it wasn't until she experienced what she calls, like, the most violent sexual assault that the facility ended up following up with the medical care and offering, you know, her to go to the emergency room and being able to file those charges, so you know, you can say that the regulations or the standards were followed, but only when it was when she experienced the worst assault.
Saliby: Where is Q now? You said she was deported.
Jokisch Polo: Like I said, after reporting the assault, she was transferred out of Michigan, went to Arizona and Texas, and spent time at, she says, four other facilities, and then she was deported back to Venezuela. She's in hiding with family.
She's afraid that if she, you know, goes out and about, she once again might face violence over being gay and trans, and it was that violence that, you know, for she says was what made her come to the United States in the first place.
She showed me a large scar on her chest that you know required hundreds of stitches, and she said that she was viciously beaten for being trans and gay.
Saliby: Have you talked to the operator of North Lake, GEO Group or Immigrations and Customs Enforcement about Q's experience?
Jokisch Polo: We have. They just sent several statements. They said that it's still being investigated. The local county prosecutor is also still investigating.
But what's really hard is that, you know, Q has been deported, and we also believe that the alleged assailant has been deported, so we don't know. They don't share how investigations are conducted once somebody has been deported.
Saliby: To end our conversation, you've been reporting on North Lake for a while now. You've talked to many detainees there, people who speak with detainees. What's changed, or has anything changed since you started your coverage?
Jokisch Polo: I will say what's changed is that we're seeing fewer people get granted bail while their cases move through immigration court, so instead there's more people waiting there, people without a criminal background.
I'm also seeing people who have deportation orders wait and wait weeks and months inside detention for them to actually be deported, and these folks say that, you know, they don't feel like there's anything they can do to speed things up, and recently folks might have heard that there have been people inside the detention facility who started a hunger strike over the long detention stays and limited access to medical care. That hunger strike is no longer ongoing, but I think it speaks to some of the experiences that people are having there.
And on a weekly basis, I hear from people there who are having issues with medical care, you know, they feel that they're not being addressed appropriately, and most of the time the prescription that they get is, you know, take some Tylenol and some water.
Saliby: Michelle Jokisch Polo is a reporter for Michigan Public. Thank you for joining me.
Jokisch Polo: Of course, thanks for having me.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
