An immigrant infected with COVID-19 passed away in detention center

Immigrant rights advocates had warned about the risk of the pandemic in detention centers of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE).

Due to the policies implemented by President Trump since 2017, thousands of immigrants have been detained and taken to overcrowded centers where there is not enough space for social distancing.

Since the arrival of the Coronavirus, several communities of immigrant advocates have asked the government for help to reduce the risk of a massive outbreak in detention centers across the country.

They claimed many times that ICE facilities are possible hotbeds for the virus and they tried to encourage the government to act quickly and efficiently to save as many lives as possible.

Unfortunately, the US government did not listen to these requests and the number of infected immigrants in detention centers exceeds 600 now.

This number is equivalent only to detainees infected with COVID-19. The figure increases considerably if we take into account the dozens of federal employees who are infected as well.

Detained immigrant passed away

The situation that immigrant rights advocates were trying to avoid has arrived.

One of the immigrants held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego passed away on Wednesday, May 6, 2020, after being diagnosed with Coronavirus.

The Immigrant’s Background

The deceased immigrant was 57 years old and had been hospitalized at the end of April due to his critical health condition because of the COVID-19.

The immigrant had diabetes and the Coronavirus deteriorated his underlying illness.

This is a very particular case because he had been living in the US since 1980 with his sister and was detained by ICE in January 2020.

The Otay Mesa Immigration Detention Center

This ICE center is currently the most affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.

It has more than 130 detainees who tested positive for the Coronavirus exam.

Despite the delicate situation, ICE has not answered anything about the immigrant or the measures they are going to take to prevent a massive spread within its facilities.

The only thing ICE stated is that they have released around 200 immigrants in the last week following the order issued by various courts around the country.

This event shows very clearly the low capacity of ICE’s facilities to contain and counteract the impact of the pandemic.

On top of that, employees who faithfully serve the US government are in constant danger as well.

Seek reliable help and protect your health

It is imperative to avoid such situations at all costs. The most important thing now is to take care of the health of the entire population currently living in the country.

Therefore, if you have an immigration case, you should be properly advised to avoid precarious circumstances and be able to have a positive response from the US government.

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.