The alarming number of positive cases of COVID-19 in ICE facilities

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the agency in charge of protecting the borders, detaining undocumented immigrants trying to cross borders illegally, and monitoring merchandise entering the US.

ICE is in charge of immigration detention centers around the country and currently has approximately 32,000 people in its custody.

Currently, the figures indicate that there are more than 1,400 detained immigrants who tested positive in the Coronavirus exam.

It is important to clarify that this figure does not include the number of ICE employees who have tested positive for COVID-19 as well.

The warning from activist communities

Since the massive outbreak of Coronavirus in the United States, immigrant rights advocates have warned about the risk in immigrant detention centers around the country.

These activist groups denounced the conditions in which the detained immigrants live and explained why the detention centers could become hotbeds of the nouvelle Coronavirus.

Let’s look at some of their arguments.

1. Immigration detention centers are overcrowded

Due to the strict immigration policies implemented by Trump’s government in recent years, asylum and refuge applications require a lot of documentation and if immigrants are not returned to Mexico’s borders, they must be detained until they receive a response from the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) about their cases.

According to the recommendation of the World Health Organization, the best prevention is social distancing.

There is not enough space in the immigration detention centers for the social distancing rule to be met, creating a greater risk of a massive COVID-19 outbreak in ICE facilities.

2. ICE does not have hygiene resources to protect detainees

Immigrant rights advocates say ICE does not have enough hygiene supplies to protect the health of both detainees and federal employees.

Hundreds of detained immigrants have reported a lack of hygiene protocols at ICE centers during the global pandemic.

The testimonies declare that there are not enough protective masks or hand sanitizer to protect the detainees.

In addition to that, they cannot bathe every day, the toilets are not in proper conditions and soap is not available for all immigrants, which increases the risk of COVID-19 infection.

3. There are not enough medical personnel

Activists claim that ICE has in their custody people with underlying health problems and the elderly. They are at higher risk of getting the Coronavirus, having a health crisis and possibly passing away.

Activists claim that ICE does not have enough medical personnel to protect detained immigrants and save as many lives as possible, which could lead to a humanitarian catastrophe inside these detention centers.

Immigrant rights advocates request actual numbers of COVID-19 cases at ICE facilities

The American Immigration Council (AIC) is a nonprofit organization that strives to protect immigrant rights in the US.

AIC declares that the reports from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE regarding the number of people infected with Coronavirus are not synchronized with reality.

Activists claim that the number of deported immigrants who have tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving in their countries considerably increases the figures officially reported by these entities.

This non-profit organization claims that DHS and ICE are illegally withholding the actual numbers of Coronavirus-infected immigrants.

This is an alarming conjecture since it could incite a judicial process against these government entities.

The request for the actual figures

Due to the number of positive COVID-19 cases among deported immigrants, AIC filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), requesting the actual numbers of people infected in ICE facilities.

ICE has a maximum of 20 days to respond to this request, otherwise, the court must intervene in the lawsuit.

Seek Reliable Help For Your Immigration Case

It is important to protect our families from the imminent risk of the nouvelle Coronavirus.

Now that the USCIS offices reopened, and most immigration processes resumed, it is the right time to submit applications for entry and residence in the US.

The best alternative is to follow the advice of experts on immigration concerns.

We are here to help you!

If you have any questions about an immigration issue or relating to a case you may have currently in progress, then please don’t hesitate to contact us for a FREE Phone Consultation with one of our expert immigration attorneys.

Simply call Motion Law today at: (202) 918-1799.