OCA Demands Release of All Nonviolent Detainees After Two Guards at ICE Detention Center Die from COVID-19

Washington, DC – OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates is calling for the immediate release of all detainees who do not pose a public safety risk and for the immediate provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and health safety standards for all workers in light of recent reports that two deceased prison guards at a Louisiana Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center passed from COVID-19. These preventable deaths indicate broad deficiencies in U.S. prisons and immigration detention centers, in which detainees and guards are in constant physical proximity without adequate sanitation or safety measures.

ICE facilities currently detain 30,000 immigrants, nearly 5,000 of whom are Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs), according to June 2018 reports. Additionally, most Asian detainees are South Asian asylum seekers, who often face religious discrimination in incarceration. Yet only 705 total detainees have been tested for COVID-19 nationally, despite the heightened risk of transmission in prison facilities. This is evidenced by the 425 confirmed cases out of those 705 tested, a rate that triples the national average. Individuals are incarcerated in facilities with few hygiene measures and virtually no capacity for social distancing. Considering recent deaths, the rates of COVID-19 contraction is almost certainly much greater than what is being tested and reported by ICE.

According to a 2018 report, most detained AAPI immigrants were arrested for non-violent charges like driving under the influence, other traffic violations, and immigration offenses. No one should have to face an increased risk of infection because of these mistakes. Additionally, detainees charged with violent offenses are no less deserving of proper health protections. In the interest of saving lives, our government must immediately release individuals who do not pose a threat to public safety. It must also fulfil its obligation to ensure the health and safety of all prisoners and public employees, especially those working in high-risk environments like detention centers.

OCA thanks Families Belong Together for their leadership in advocating for releasing immigrants from detention. We urge fellow advocates and members of Congress to support Sen. Booker and Rep. Jayapal’s Federal Immigrant Release for Safety and Security Together (FIRST) Act to release vulnerable detainees and provide hygiene products for those who remain incarcerated.

OCA–Asian Pacific American Advocates is a national civil rights organization dedicated to improving the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs).

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