COVID-19 threatens those in immigration jails. Our fight to protect the health and rights of everyone continues.

April 10, 2020

 

People trapped in immigration jails fight for freedom as COVID-19 spreads

Right now the situation in immigration jails is dire, especially as the coronavirus spreads in the detention system. Public health experts and advocates have been raising the alarm for weeks about how people in immigration jails are at great risk during the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to release people immediately.

People trapped in crowded immigration jails told NIJC that they are panicked -- many people in detention are sick, they don't have soap or cleaning supplies, and they are not getting any reliable information about the coronavirus or how they should protect themselves.

Recently, NIJC Senior Attorney Tania Linares Garcia joined members of Congress in urging U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to release people now. NIJC Attorney Dorien Ediger-Seto from our San Diego office and her client Oliver, who is detained, told San Diego Public Radio about the urgency of the situation. Dorien joined members of Congress, medical experts, and federal defenders to expose deteriorating conditions in San Diego's jails and demand the release of immigrants. This week, NIJC published our policy recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic, and just yesterday NIJC filed lawsuits against a jail in Kankakee, Illinois to get people released.

 

          

TAKE ACTION: Free people from deadly immigration jails

You can help free people from immigration jails now so they can reunite with their families and communities where they can be safe. The coronavirus is spreading in the immigration detention system and people trapped inside are especially vulnerable, detained in close contact with others and without adequate medical care or basic hygiene supplies like soap.

DONATE NOW: Help free people from deadly detention so they can reunite with family and community.

 

Alejandra Barrera (left) and NIJC attorney Tania Linares Garcia in Washington, D.C., visiting members of Congress.

ICE neglects LGBTQ folks in immigration jail

A secret memo shows just how awful medical care was for transgender immigrants detained at Cibola County Correctional Center in New Mexico, and how ICE blatantly ignored the situation. Alejandra Barrera, an NIJC client who was formerly detained at Cibola, spoke to BuzzFeed News, which broke the story. NIJC clients Kelly and Zsa Zsa spoke to Reuters about medical neglect they suffered as transgender individuals in immigration jail, and NIJC client Francisco, who identifies as queer, told Truthout about abuse he experienced, including solitary confinement, because of his gender identity.

 

Separated families allowed to continue lawsuit against U.S. government

A judge ordered that five asylum-seeking mothers and their children can continue their lawsuit against the U.S. government for the cruel treatment and life-long trauma caused by forced family separation. We're proud to represent these families along with our partners at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, American Immigration Council, and Kairys, Rudovsky, Messing, Feinberg & Lin LLP. See more about our lawsuit on behalf of separated families.

 

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Community First Award celebrates NIJC's pro bono program

We are honored to receive Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago's Community First Award and are thankful for our great partners at BMO Harris Bank who nominated NIJC for our pro bono partnerships! See more about the award and the other winners.
 

 

Story spotlight: Asylum won!

Congratulations to this mom and her son from Central America, who won asylum with the help of two excellent Notre Dame Law School students participating in an externship with NIJC! Having asylum provides this family some safety and stability during a tumultuous time. (This picture was taken a couple of months ago before the COVID-19 outbreak. We're now keeping our physical distance, but we can't wait until we can see our clients in person again.)

 

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NATIONAL IMMIGRANT JUSTICE CENTER
224 S. Michigan Avenue, Suite 600 | Chicago, Illinois 60604
immigrantjustice.org

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