The coronavirus is spreading in immigration detention, with more than 70 detainees in 13 states testing positive and hundreds of others under quarantine. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has started to lower its detainee population to reduce the risk of people getting sick. But people held in immigration jails and their advocates say there’s still not enough protective gear, cleaning supplies or space that allows for social distancing. They fear the number of coronavirus cases will sharply rise in the coming weeks as it has in jails and prisons nationwide. Detainees in at least four states say they have been denied masks.
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Ben Margot/AP
A masked cyclist passes a motorist protesting in a vehicle to observe social distancing guidelines at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office on Tuesday, March 31, 2020, in San Francisco. Activists want California Gov. Newsom and local authorities to use their emergency powers to release immigrants in California detention centers. The protesters argue that mandates for social distancing and hygiene protocols in order to prevent deaths from COVID-19 are unable to be followed by what they perceive to be cramped, unsanitary conditions in ICE detention centers. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Posted at 10:03 PM, Apr 13, 2020
and last updated 2020-04-14 16:12:22-04
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