Dozens of cars carried out a caravan from Los Angeles to the Adelanto City Detention Center in San Bernardino County, to press for the release of immigrants detained with pre-existing medical conditions, whose health is at great risk in the face of the epidemic. of the coronavirus.
The motorcade came a day after a federal judge in Los Angeles ordered that the number of detainees in Adelanto be reduced to a level that allows social distance to be maintained. six-foot at all times and in all places, including during sleep, eating, bathing, and daily activities.
At the same time, this week, the debate began in the Adelanto City Council to decide whether to expand the facilities of the Detention Center; while several detained immigrants remain on hunger strike to demand their release and their health protections, amid the pandemic.
Compassion and humanity
Pastor Guillermo Torres of the Clerics and United Laity for Economic Justice (CLUE) organization, who participated in the motorcade, said several immigrant rights organizations and faith leaders joined together to ask the Department of Homeland Security to free the most vulnerable immigrants; and the local authorities demanded that they stop the expansion of the Adelanto Detention Center facilities.
“Detainees face serious danger from the coronavirus. Many have started hunger strikes to be released. Their fear is even greater because Adelanto has a history of medical deficiencies, "said the pastor.
He mentioned that many lawyers have filed emergency petitions for their clients with health problems to be released, especially those who are of legal age, and asylum seekers who have escaped risky conditions in their countries.
"We hope to expand the voices, and we appeal to the sense of humanity and compassion of the officers of the Migration and Customs Service (ICE) to free them," he said.
Postponed voting
At the same time, the private GEO company that manages the Adelanto Detention Center is seeking permission from the City of Adelanto to expand its facilities by an additional 750 beds. Voting was suspended this week due to lack of a quorum, but was rescheduled for around May 13.
Just last January, a law came into effect in California to end private prisons in California, but a few days earlier, ICE signed 15-year contracts to keep the Advancement Center open.
Court order
On the other hand, Judge Terry J. Hatter Jr. ordered population decrease in Adelanto in light of the coronavirus epidemic. This in response to a request made on April 14, by the Foundation of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California and the law firm Latham & Watkins LLP. In the actions taken, ACLU SoCal establishes that medical experts have concluded that immigration detention centers such as Adelanto are a potential powder keg for COVID-19.
"Keeping people in civil immigration detention in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, without taking steps to protect them from infection with a deadly virus, was found by the court to be inconsistent with contemporary standards of human decency," ACLU SoCal attorney Jessica Bansal said.
"We are relieved that those detained in Adelanto will receive the life and health protections that every human being deserves," added the defender.
The judge ordered that ICE must reduce the population in three ways:
- Release them with or without conditions.
- Deport those detainees who have final deportation orders, and have exhausted all appeals.
- Transfer selected detainees to other facilities where they can maintain social distance.
Without giving numbers of how many were to be released or transferred, the judge ordered that the population reduction should begin on April 27 and end on May 4. Adelanto currently has 1,300 detainees.
Hunger strike
Juan José Gutiérrez, leader of the Full Rights Coalition for Immigrants, said that despite the judge's order, the immigration authorities will do everything possible, not to release anyone, because for GEO, the private company that manages the prison of Adelanto, each immigrant represents a profit. "They are not willing to lose that investment. So they are going to fight the legal battle not to release the immigrants ordered by a judge. ”
Francisco Zúñiga, a Chilean detained in Adelanto, who is on a hunger strike for the liberation of immigrants, said that on Friday, April 24, when the caravan was taking place, they were not allowed to go out into the courtyards so they would not hear the voices of protest.
“But that did not affect us. Morale rose a lot after we did not find out about the judge's order, even though we do not know how many will be released”Said Francisco, who has already been told that he will be deported to Chile on May 4.
“I am very happy to leave and reunite with my family, after so many months of emotional torture. I regret not being able to stay in this country to make a lawsuit against all the mistreatment suffered. These months of detention, nobody will return them to me. ”
Marcelo Guzmán, a Chilean immigrant, who escaped from Chile last year after the social outbreak in that country, and has been fasting for 20 days, said he felt desperate and worried since he has been set a bond of $ 25,000 to go free, a sum impossible to gather.
SHowever, he maintains a light of hope that the judicial mandate will allow him to regain his freedom after more than five months of confinement in Adelanto.
