A Times reporter spoke with detainees in southern Africa using a cellphone one of them obtained after a hunger strike.

The reporter used the cellphone to conduct a remote interview, reaching the detainees in a prison that houses individuals slated for deportation under the Trump administration.

The detainees had seized the cellphone in a protest, a hunger strike that forced authorities to negotiate a temporary device for communication.

This encounter highlighted the challenges reporters face when covering human rights issues in restrictive environments, where access to technology is limited and often a result of protest.

The reporter's use of the cellphone allowed them to ask questions about living conditions, legal status, and prospects for release, providing readers with a rare inside view of the detention facility.

The experience underscores the resilience of detainees who, despite limited resources, sought to communicate their plight and the role of the press in amplifying their voices across borders.