A federal lawsuit filed on Monday alleged asylum-seekers were forced to clean an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Arizona where they were given rotten meat to eat. 

A report by the Arizona Republic said at least 76 immigrants detained at the 3,060-bed La Palma Correctional Center have tested positive of the virus at the end of May, making it the sixth-largest outbreak at an ICE facility in the country.  

The suit, which was filed in a federal court in Arizona, involves the collaborative effort by the Florence Project, the American Civil Liberties Union, and Perkins Coie.

Claims

The recently filed lawsuit said two of the migrants cleaned the trash from the infirmary's office where other sick detainees sought treatment. One was forced to clean feces from a cell without wearing gloves. 

The migrants also claimed they were denied access to basic hygiene practices and products such as daily baths and toilet paper. Those who protested against the dire conditions and the lack of anti-virus measures received punishments, including verbal threats and indefinite lock-ins. 

One instance cited in the lawsuit said the migrants were sent to solitary confinement when they refused to work in the kitchen due to coronavirus fears. After the kitchen closed in May, the migrants were given sandwiches with rotten ham and bread. 

Related News: US Court Denies ICE Detainees' Release, Tight Living Conditions Could Lead to COVID-19 Outbreak

The recent lawsuit hasn't been the first filed against the ICE. In late-May, advocacy organizations filed complaints against detention facilities in Florida and California with claims migrants were suffering severe side effects from COVID-19 disinfectant sprays. 

According to the testimonies the detainees sent to Freedom for Immigration, the ICE staffers would often spray the chemical within the facility, causing terrible skin reactions. One migrant said blood came out of her nose every time she blew it. 

The complaints about the Adelanto detention center said the chemical was sprayed every thirty minutes throughout the poorly-ventilated housing unit. The complaint also said at least nine detainees had developed severe reactions from the spray-including breathing difficulties, headaches, stomachaches, and nausea.   

Some of the detainees identified the chemical being sprayed as HDQ Neutral. Safety guidelines issued by Spartan Chemical, its manufacturer, warn that the product could cause severe skin burns and eye damage. The guidelines stated that the chemical should only be used in outdoors or well-ventilated areas. Those handling the chemical were also urged to wear protective gear. 

In early-May, a Prairieland detention facility was the subject of a lawsuit after a coronavirus outbreak occurred. The federal court filing demanded that immigrants from other countries such as Mexico and Nicaragua be released from the center as they were medically vulnerable to the virus, a Dallas Morning News report said. 

The complaint came after over two dozen immigrants from a coronavirus-infected Pennsylvania jail were transferred to the Prairieland detention center on April 20. Several of those immigrants were later found positive for COVID-19. As of May 19, 45 of the detention center's 500 asylum-seekers were infected with the virus. 

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