Detained immigrants in California sue ICE, demand release during coronavirus pandemic
Thirteen immigrants being held in detention centers are “especially vulnerable” to coronavirus, according to a lawsuit filed in a California federal district court.
The detained immigrants, who are being held in the Mesa Verde U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility and Yuba County Jail, are asking for their immediate release because of unsafe conditions.
The lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union follows a separate lawsuit the organization filed last week on behalf of detained immigrants in Washington.
One of the California detainees, 64-year-old grandmother Sofia Bahena Ortuno, said in an ACLU press release that coronavirus has her “extremely worried.”
“I have seen some of the officers at the Mesa Verde detention center coughing and not wearing masks,” she said. “They also keep coming to work. I am worried how this will affect me.”
The thirteen immigrants suing ICE emigrated from Mexico, Jamaica, Russia, El Salvador, Honduras and Fiji, according to the lawsuit. Some of them have pre-existing medical conditions, including diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, tuberculosis and hypertension, the lawsuit states.
The structures of the jails make It “near impossible” for the detainees to practice social distancing and the facilities lack the “adequate medical infrastructure” to address the spread of an infectious disease, the lawsuit states.
Ages and health conditions of the inmates make them vulnerable to effects of COVID-19, the attorney states.
“Yet these plaintiffs remain detained with the general population in both facilities, sleeping in bunks within arms-reach of other detainees and with no choice but to use shared communal dining, bathing and recreation areas,” the lawsuit states. “Facility staff have rebuffed their inquiries about COVID-19 risks and precautions.”
William Freeman, senior counsel for the ACLU of Northern California, said in a statement: “ICE Is failing to fulfill its constitutional obligation to protect the health and safety of individuals In its custody.”
The Department of Homeland Security said, according to the lawsuit, “it is essential to consider releasing all detainees who do not pose an immediate risk to public safety.”
Some non-violent inmates have been released from Sacramento jails, officials told the Sacramento Bee last week. Inmate advocates said thousands of inmates need to be released to address the overcrowding that could endanger people inside and outside of the facilities.
A 31-year-old Mexican national being held In an ICE facility In New Jersey tested positive for coronavirus, ICE announced Tuesday.
ICE said last week it will adjust its enforcement policies during the coronavirus pandemic “to ensure the welfare and safety of the general public as well as officers and agents.”