$20 tampons and coffee that costs twice as much: ICE detainees say commissary prices are out of control

For example, a container of instant coffee costs $18.80 at the commissary, compared with $9.42 at Walmart. A box of tampons sells for more than $20 — about a 33% markup from what regular retailers charge.

Now, detainees at the California City Detention Facility, about 80 miles east of Bakersfield, and the Golden State Annex in McFarland are refusing to buy items, saying the rising cost of necessities has become too much to bear.

Why they’re protesting

Advocates with the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice say more than 300 detainees have signed grievance letters protesting commissary prices at the two facilities, which are run by private prison companies CoreCivic and GEO Group.

While ICE provides three meals a day and basic hygiene items, detainees told the newspaper they often rely on commissaries for additional food, toiletries and other everyday essentials. They say recent price increases have made those purchases increasingly difficult to afford.

One of those detainees is 52-year-old Alfredo Parada Calderon, whose family sends him about $100 each month to buy coffee, snacks, soup, soap, shampoo and deodorant. After noticing prices had increased, he said he asked an ICE officer why.

The response, he told the Times, was vague.

“They’re blaming it on inflation,” Parada Calderon said. “It’s a horrible enough place to be in, and you guys are making it even more horrible, not just for me but for my family.

“The detainees want to be heard, and this is the only option we actually have — a peaceful protest.”

What the companies say

The boycott comes as the Trump administration expands immigration enforcement and detention across the country. One of the facilities involved in the boycott, the California City Detention Facility, has also faced legal scrutiny over detainee conditions. Earlier this year, a federal judge appointed an independent monitor after detainees alleged inadequate medical care and other deficiencies.