A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Fugitive Operations Agent takes handcuffs off before booking an immigrant in Los Angeles
(Photo : Reuters)

Immigration advocates have requested the Trump Administration to release the immigration detainees due to at least one detainee having tested positive in detention facilities. Advocates fear that tight quarters may cause the spread of the virus to spike immediately. 

The United States immigration detention facilities hold about 37,000 detainees. Most of them have pre-existing conditions making them vulnerable to the coronavirus. Migrants are often held in open quarters with beds 3-feet apart and with not enough masks and other protection. 

Immigration Detention Facility Conditions

According to one detainee, Marco Battistotti, who is currently held at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Bristol County Jail, people in the facility are panicking and are overwhelmed with fear. 

Battistotti is among the 100 detainees at the county jail in Massachusetts. Along with his fellow detainees, he signed a request letter released by a local immigration lawyer detailing the current condition inside the facility. Their letter also indicates their request for release as they wait for their hearings. 

The agency released a report of a 31 year old migrant from Mexico who tested positive for COVID-19. He was held in Bergen County, New Jersey. They have announced steps to ensure that each detainee and staff is protected but they have not indicated if they are looking into testing those suspected to be exposed to the virus. No comments have been made regarding the condition of the facility. 

More on Immigration:

Request for Release

Trump Administration along with ICE is trying to balance their immigration policy during the pandemic. ICE confirms that they will temporarily adjust their operations to focus on apprehending individuals who pose a risk to public safety or those who are subject to mandatory detention due to previous or ongoing criminal cases. 

American Civil Liberties Union and other immigraion advocates are filing a lawsuit in different states such as California, Maryland and Pennsylvania asking for the immediate release of immigration detainees, especially those who are deemed high risk in contracting the virus. 

Other advocates have also asked a court in Los Angeles to require the office of Refugee Resettlement for the release of qualified migrant children to their sponsors who are found to be without parents or legal guardians and held in government-contracted shelters for more than 30 days. According to them, 2 staff from 2 facilities similar to it have been tested positive for the virus. 

On Monday, a panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ordered the immediate release of a 37 year old woman who claims to be threatened with death by a Mexican drug cartel. 

The situation in detention facilities are similar to the conditions in jails and prisons. The main difference between them is that most of the individuals detained by ICE have no criminal records and are only held due to immigration concerns. 

With the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the United States, ICE commits to screen new detainees and is currently isolating those who show symptoms of the virus. Detainees feel these measures do not guarantee their safety at all.