COVID-19 pandemic in U.S. immigration detention

The COVID-19 pandemic in U.S. immigration detention has been covered extensively since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. More than 38,000 people were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the time of the outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States.[1] ICE's response to the outbreak in detention facilities has been widely characterized as substandard and dangerous.[2] Harmful practices have been reported in numerous facilities managed by third-party private contractors with ICE.[1] For example, reports found that HDQ Neutral disinfectant was used over 50 times per day in un-ventilated areas, which caused pain, bleeding, and severe illness to numerous people held in Adelanto Detention Center, a private prison managed by GEO Group Inc.[3]

ICE and the Trump administration have been heavily criticized for its lack of transparency during the COVID-19 pandemic,[4][5] after it banned oversight tours by U.S. Congress and stakeholder groups at all detention facilities and further restricted attorney access.[6] Detained people have reported that they are being forced into unsafe, unsanitary, and harmful conditions.[7] People who are critically ill have been denied testing and medical attention by detention officers. Serious irregularities in ICE's testing data have been reported,[6] while ICE has blocked coronavirus testing information at its facilities from being released to the public.[8] The American Civil Liberties Union referred to the COVID-19 pandemic in US immigration detention as "an unquestionable public health disaster."[6]

  1. ^ a b Aleaziz, Hamed (March 31, 2020). "ICE Must Release 10 Chronically Ill Immigrants After A Judge Said They're Not Safe From The Coronavirus While In Custody". BuzzFeed News.
  2. ^ "US: Suspend Deportations During Pandemic: Forced Returns Risk Further Global Spread of Virus". Human Rights Watch. June 4, 2020.
  3. ^ López, Canela (June 5, 2020). "Report finds ICE detention center is using a disinfectant over 50 times a day that causes bleeding and pain". INSIDER.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :11 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Siegelbaum, Max (June 5, 2020). "Early Arrival: Detention Doctor Testifies for Senate Committee". Documented.
  6. ^ a b c Cho, Eugene (May 22, 2020). "ICE's Lack of Transparency About COVID-19 in Detention Will Cost Lives". ACLU.
  7. ^ Madan, Monique O. (June 4, 2020). "As ICE detainee testifies in federal court about COVID-19, unmasked guard is next to him". The Miami Herald.
  8. ^ Nelson, Blake (April 23, 2020). "ICE blocks release of coronavirus testing information at jail, N.J. official says". NJ.com.