A sewage backup has affected two housing units at Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, where detainees reported contaminated water in cells and limits on drinking water and showers, immigrant advocates said this week. Amilcar Valencia, director of El Refugio, a nonprofit serving immigrants in Stewart County, said his organization received eight calls from detainees or their relatives. Callers described foul-smelling sewage coming up through bathrooms and flooding cells with nearly an inch of water, Valencia said. “People are calling us desperate for help,” he said in a statement Thursday. Callers reported having no drinking water and being told to clean contaminated water without protective equipment, he said. CoreCivic, the private company that operates the facility for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said a plumbing issue began Tuesday and affected two housing units. Spokesperson Lindsay Williams said a contractor was working to identify the cause and make repairs. The company said water service was temporarily shut off in the affected units and that detainees were given alternatives for toilets and showers while repairs continued. CoreCivic also said detainees received protective equipment and help cleaning affected areas. That account differs from the reports Valencia said his organization received. The detention center is in Lumpkin, about 140 miles southwest of Atlanta, near the Alabama state line. ICE records cited in a recent Syracuse University review show the facility held about 2,000 people as of July 2026, making it one of the country’s largest federal immigration detention centers. Valencia warned that contact with wastewater could increase infection risks for people held at the facility. The reports raise questions about access to basic sanitation and safe water while the plumbing problem is addressed.