ACLU pushes for pandemic transparency in ICE facilities

RISE AROUND THE COUNTRY ANDPARTS OFAL CIFORNIA..IMMIGRATION RIGHTSADVOCATES SAY A RULING BY THE9TH CIRCUICOT URT OFAPPEALS IS IORMPTANT NOW MORETHAN EVER.I TOOK A LOOK INTO THELITIGATION... AND THIS YEAR'SSTE ATDOJ REPORT ON IMMIGATIONDETENTION, IN TONIGHT'S IN-DEPTH REPORT.ACLU OFFICIALS SAY AN UPTICK INCOVID CASES HIGHLIGH THETSNEED FOR TRANSPARENT PANDEMICPROTOCOLSINSIDE IMMIGRATION HOLNGDIFACILITI.

ES: KEY IS THE TEST PRIOR TOTRANSFER.

BC WHAT WE'VE ENSEIN OTHER ICE FACILITIES IS WHENYOU IN NTOEW PPL INTO THEFACILITY THAT HAVEN'T BEENTESTED YOU'RE GAMLBING WITTHE LIVES OF EVERYONE IN THEFACILITY..

EARLIER THIS SUMMER.KERN COUNTY SHERIFF'SOFFICIALS OUTLINED DATA IN APUBLIC FORUM.

THAT SHOWEA DDECREASE IN WORK WITH ICESHORTLY BEFORE THE START OF E THPANDEM.

IC"THIS CHART PROVIDES ANILLUSTRATION OF THE DATACOMPARED 2019 TO 2020 IN YELW.LOAS YOU CAN SEE BOTHTHE NUMBER OF NOTIFICATIONREQUESTS AND THE NUMBER OFTRANSFERS FELL SIGNIFICANTLY.STILL -- THREE OF THE FIVEIMMIGRATION HOLDINGFACILITIES IN CALIFORNIASIGNIFICANTLY EXPANDEDCAPACITIES STARTING IN0- 219...INCLUDING ONE IN KERNCOUNTY.A DOJ REPORT STATES THE BIGINCREASE IN BUNKS COS MEAFTER FORMER CORRECTIONALCENTERS WERE CONVERTED IO NTIMMIGRATION HOLDING AREASANNEXED' TO PRIVATELY-OWNED...ICE-NTCORACTEDFACILITIES INCLUDING MESAVERDE IN BAKERSFIELD..ANDADELANTO.THAT SAME REPORT -- SAYS ANYEFFORTS TO COLLECTINFORMATION ABOUT CONDITIONSINSIDE ADELAO NTWERE SEVERELY LIMITED.IT WENT ON TO SAY, "CAL DOJ'S REVIEW OF THE ADELANTOFACILITYD ANPARTICULARLY OFITS DELIVERY OF MEDICAL CAREWASSIGNIFCANTLYHAMPERED BY THE GEO GROUS P'REFUSAL TO PROVIDE ACCESSTO DETAINEES AND RECOR TDSO THESAME DEGREE THAT CAL DOJRECEIVED AT EVERY OTHER FACILITYITHAS REVIEWE "D.IN RESPONSE TO THE REVIEW -- ASPOKESPERSON FOR GEO GROUPSENT THIS STATEMENT TO 23 ABC --WHICH READS IN PART"WE STRONGLY DENY THEALLEGATIONCOS NTAINED INHE TCALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OFJUSTICE'S REPORT ON IMMIGRATIONPROCESSING CENTERS INCALIFORNIA.

EVERY DAY, OURONFRT-LINE EMPLOYEES STRIVE TOENSURE THATTHOSE ENTRUSTED TO OUR CARARE EPROVIDE WITHHIGH-QUALITY SERVICES AND ARETREATED WITH DIGNITY ANDRESPECT."ANOTHER OF THE COMPANY'S ICE-CONTRACTED FACILITIES ALSOCRITICIZED IN THE REVIEW- WHICHCITES A LAWSUIT FILED IN THE 9THDISTRICT COURT AGAINST THE MESAVERDE FACILI LASTYAPRIL BY THE ACLU.

IT SAID AMONGOTHER THINGS.

THE AGENCY FAILEDTO PROTECT THE NEARLY 400DETAINEESHOUSED THERE AGAINST THE SPREADOF COVID 19.AT ONE POINT OVER HALF OFINMAS TEHAD COVID.COURT DOCUMENTS STATE INMATESPROTESDLIVING CONDITIONS INSIDE THEBUILDING IN BAKERSFIELD..WITHSOME GOING AS FAR AS ORGANIZINGHUNGER STRIKES OVER SEVERALMONTHS.ICE LETTING PEOPLE CMR INTO THEFACILITY HADN'T BEENTESTED.

HAND'T BN EEQUARANTINED.MIXING THEM WITHOTHER PPL.

INTRODUCING THEM TOTHE VIS.RUBUT..

WELLS TELLING 23 ABC AMAJOR VICTORY - CAME DURING ONEOF MANY RULINGS IN THE CASE -WHICH RELEASED HUNDREDS OFDETAINEES...WHO HE SAYS HAVESINCE SHOWED UP TO THEIRIMMIGRATION HEARINGS AND WORKEDTO BETTER THEIRLIVES." WEREN'T FLIGHT RISKS ORDANGERS TO THE COMMUNITY INORDER TO DEPOPULATE THEFACILITY."STILL - CONCERNS LINGER AS DELTAVARIANT CASES SEN RICALIFORNIA AND KERN COUNTY...ALONG WITH WORRIES AROUNDAN INFLUX OF ACTIVITY FROM THERECENTLY-ONED PESOUTHERN BDER.OR"WE'RE SEEING COVID RISE INCERTAIN AREAS- BUT IT'S COMINGMAINLY ACROSS THBOE RDER."WELLS SAYS NO MATTER AN MAINTE'SSITUATION...ENSURING TRANSPARENCY AND PROPERSAFETYPROTOCOLS IN MESA VERDE... ORANY IMMIGRATION HOLDINGCENTER...IS CRITICAL MOVINGFORWD.AR"SEEING OUT BREAKS IN OTHERFACILITIES..

WORKINGITH WICE TO STOP SPREAD OF COVID IFIT'S INTRODUCED INTOTHE FACILITY.ACLU OF SOCAL ANICD E RECENTLYREACHED AN AGREEMENT INPRINCIPAL.

9TH CIRCUIT GE AVTHEM 60 DAYS TO WORK OUT FINEDETAILS OF SETTLEMENT AGREEMENTAND PRESENT IT TOTHE DISTRICTOURT.

CI ALSO REACHED OUT TOIMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMSENFORCEMENT... A SPOKESPERSONSAID THE AGENCY WAS NOT ABLE TOCOMMENT ON THE ALLEGATIONS...AND THE STATE DOJ OFFICE REFERREDUS TO THE ONLINE REPT.OR