They fear for their life; while in immigration courts they remove and put disease prevention posters
Brenda is concerned about her brother in custody at the Adelanto Detention Center, as he suffers from mitosis, an autoimmune neuromuscular disease, for whom the coronavirus represents a threat to his life.
“He is afraid of his chronic illness and his low immune system, since any illness such as a cold or influenza puts him at risk. I can't lose it! ”He says.
Her brother has waited months for medical treatment at Adelanto. "Individuals with medical disabilities don't get the health care they deserve," explains Brenda.
As if this were not enough, comment that Adelanto facilities need deep cleaning, but the detainees are not provided with the necessary products to clean thoroughly.
As the coronavirus has become a global pandemic, pro-immigrant organizations such as the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice (ICIJ) are increasingly distressed by the failures of the GEO group, a lucrative private company that runs the Advancement Center.
“It is necessary to emphasize how lethal the coronavirus can be for detained immigrants. We are very concerned that GEO has demonstrated its lack of will to provide the necessary care to meet the health needs of immigrants, "says Lizbeth Abeln, coordinator of the (ICIJ).
In itself, he recalls, health conditions in Adelanto have been fatal for detained immigrants and their families.
"Since its opening, seven people have died due to medical malpractice, and GEO has routinely failed to provide adequate medical support for vulnerable immigrants. "
The Advancement Detention Center, he says, is known for its unsanitary conditions. Last year, after Congressman Mark Takano visited the facility, he reported the failure of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to adhere to medical protocols to the detriment of detainees.
ICIJ is a plaintiff in the Fraihat vs. ICE complaint alleging abuse of isolation and low-quality medical and mental care especially for the most vulnerable such as immigrants with disabilities and severe illness.
"We will continue to demand accountability and transparency from GEO in response to this pandemic," cries the ICIJ leader.
GEO Group says they are taking steps to prevent the coronavirus in Adelanto. (Getty Images)
Pablo E. Paez, spokesperson for the GEO group, affirms that as of this moment they have no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Adelanto, and assured that they work closely with the federal government to guarantee the health and safety of everyone in their care.
"We have issued guidelines at our facilities in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization on best practices to prevent the spread of the coronavirus," he says.
It also reveals that they have updated their policies and procedures to include the prevention, evaluation and management of the coronavirus. "We will continue to monitor and evaluate together with our partners in government and local agencies to ensure the health and safety of everyone in our care," he summarizes.
For their part, ICE spokespersons report in a statement that ICE epidemiologists have followed up on the outbreak, updated prevention and control protocols, and issued guidance to staff on any potential exposure of detainees.
"Currently there are no detainees in ICE custody with confirmed coronavirus," they say.
Remove and put back
This week, after the Justice Department ordered the removal of coronavirus prevention posters distributed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention from immigration courts across the country, including Los Angeles, issued a new order to return to place them.
It was the head of the immigration judges, Christopher A. Santoro who, at the request of the Justice Department, told administrators that the posters were not authorized to be placed in immigration courts and should be removed. But later, the federal authorities backed down, and asked to put the preventive posters back on the door and window of each courtroom.
Immigration lawyer Alex Gálvez maintains that, except for this incident, everything has passed normally in the immigration courts. "The judges have told us that if someone is sick, they can request without any problem that their hearing be postponed to another date."
The Citizenship and Migration Service (USCIS) issued a statement confirming that there will be no sanctions for those who reschedule their appointments as a result of the coronavirus.
"If you have the following symptoms such as cough, runny nose, headache, sore throat, shortness of breath, and you're not feeling well, reschedule your appointment," asks USCIS.
