|
Dear John,
I wanted to get Amnesty’s latest research findings, and these harrowing testimonials, over to you as soon as possible — and ask if you can take immediate action to advocate for immigrants and asylum-seekers who deserve care and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our teams have received credible and very disturbing accounts from people detained in dangerous conditions in ICE immigration detention facilities. Department of Homeland Security officials and ICE facility operators have FAILED to:
- Adopt adequate protection measures, including supplying soap and sanitizer to those in detention
- Facilitate social distancing in line with CDC guidelines and global standards
- Provide adequate and responsive health care to those exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19
Describing a 6-month-old baby who had been detained since February 22, lawyers told Amnesty International: “When she coughs, it’s like an old man who coughs – you can hear her coughing in another room.”
After displaying COVID-19-like symptoms, a 5-year-old girl at the same detention center was sent to the hospital with her mother for testing. However, ICE refused to tell her lawyers whether she was tested for COVID-19 and, if so, what the results were. At one point, ICE told the family’s lawyers, “Out of courtesy, we will not be sharing these documents.”
This is abhorrent. Please add your name to help advocate to ensure that immigrants and asylum-seekers locked up in crowded detention facilities have access to care and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Take immediate action.
Immigrants and asylum-seekers were already facing enormous threats to their health and safety. But now — during the COVID-19 pandemic — these threats are exponentially multiplying and we must ensure they are not forgotten.
Please take action right now. It will only take one minute of your time — and it could save hundreds, if not thousands, of lives.
Thank you for standing with those most in need during these unprecedented times.
Be well,
|
