Buzzfeed: An ICE Detainee Has Become The First To Test Positive For The Coronavirus

“On March 6, the Bronx Defenders, a public defender nonprofit, sent a letter to the Bergen County Jail pushing for more information on how clients with underlying medical issues would be treated and calling for the release of ICE detainees from the facility. The group represents more than two dozen ICE detainees currently at the facility.

“It is inexcusable that ICE has taken no measures to release people from local jails within the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States,” said Sophia Gurulé, immigration policy counsel at the Bronx Defenders. “Elected officials from New York’s city, state and federal government have unequivocally called for ICE to take steps, including release, to mitigate against this crisis on their hands but the agency has been unmoved. ICE needs to immediately release people from its facilities in the tri-state area.”

There are more than 37,000 ICE detainees in private and local jails across the US. The agency relies on a variety of methods to provide medical care. In some facilities, ICE provides it directly; in others, the agency has a few employees assist private or public contractors. In many facilities, a contractor provides care.”

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