Family detention centers in the midst of the health crisis

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) is the entity in charge of supervising immigration detention centers across the US, including family detention centers.

These centers receive immigrants who are detained trying to cross the borders without legal documentation or in some cases also host families who want to apply for political asylum in the country.

The global Coronavirus pandemic brought many risks for immigrants detained at ICE centers. Mainly because:

1. There is not enough space to have social distancing. That is the main recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO) to avoid a massive outbreak of COVID-19.
2. There are not enough medical personnel to assist immigrant families in the event of a health emergency.
3. Multiple testimonies of immigrants declare that they do not always have access to soap, hand sanitizer, protective masks or bathrooms in appropriate hygiene conditions.
4. There are dozens of immigrants who have underlying health conditions that make them more likely to get the COVID-19 and be carriers of the virus.

That is why as soon as the massive outbreak of Coronavirus arrived in the US, several organizations of immigrant rights advocates asked ICE to release minors detained in family centers.

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Judge had ordered the release of minors

For the luck and benefit of immigrant communities, a local judge declared in late June that ICE should release minors detained in three family detention centers based in Texas and Pennsylvania.

ICE had until July 17 to release the children from these immigration detention centers.

However, despite the fact that this news was very good for immigrant minors, the judge never mentioned the parents also detained in these centers.

Dozens of immigrant rights advocates stated that ICE would most likely decide to release minors without parents, which would cause trauma and delay their development.

Thus, attorneys of several detained families asked another local judge to review the case and evaluate the possibility of releasing the minors with the parents as well, at least while the threat to public health diminishes.

Local judge denies request to release parents along with minors

On Wednesday, July 22, 2020, a judge from the District of Columbia denied the request to release minors along with their parents.

The judge assures that ICE is implementing all the mandatory hygiene protocols and that it would be a very difficult procedure to release people detained in three family detention centers.

In addition to that, the judge ensures that ICE has already released immigrants who have underlying health conditions that could lead to complications if they get the Coronavirus.

Therefore, ICE will most likely decide to release minors without the company of their parents. If children are released without parents, then they must go to a responsible sponsor.

If you have a Family Immigration case, our expert attorneys can advise you.

Take care of your family’s future

The US normally hosts immigrant families who need international protection or who want to build a reliable future in the country.

There are several ways in which you can file a family immigration case. The most important thing is for you to seek an expert attorney who can show you the viable options. In that way, you can choose the one that best suits your current needs.

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.