On the Ground in Adelanto Detention Facility during #COVID19: Eyewitness account from our Directing Atty Lisa Okamoto. Our attys visited clients @ ADF today in the midst of a pandemic. @ICEgov refuses to free them despite their inability to protect them. #ParoleThemAll (THREAD)
#covid_19 creates the perfect storm for ICE to violate their civil rights & we are doing everything in our power to stop them.
Upon Arrival: ADF is screening all lawyers in the lobby. Family visits discont'd, so its eerily quiet except for the guards. Lawyers must take temp & fill out form asking if any flu-like symptoms in last 14 days, traveled internationally or had close contact with anyone who has.
Getting in: If you check yes to any of the above you are not allowed in behind the reception desk. One @immdef
attorney showed up for a hearing scheduled today but b/c she had contact w/ someone who traveled internationally, and they are barring her from entering courtroom.
attorney showed up for a hearing scheduled today but b/c she had contact w/ someone who traveled internationally, and they are barring her from entering courtroom.
The #immdef attorney who has contact with someone that traveled is now attempting to appear telephonically from the lobby of the detention center.
Our other atty had a cough last week, so she is also not allowed in. Out of three #ImmDef attys who attempted to enter after driving 90 miles from LA to see our clients, only one was allowed in. If it is too dangerous for us to see clients, @Icegov should #RELEASETHEMNOW.
Inability to schedule confidential calls: ImmDef Attys having an extremely difficult time scheduling confidential phone calls w/our detained clients. We have a COVID-19 vulnerable client, whose literal life is at risk, who is being barred from confidential calls w/their atty.
Our clients are confused and afraid about what is happening. In the last 4 days, they have received ZERO instructions from officials on how to prevent the virus from spreading. They continue to sleep in barracks of 100 persons each. There is no way to protect themselves. #COVID19
Our one attorney allowed inside was forced to speak w/her client through plexiglass using a handheld phone. She had no choice but to touch the phone, despite not knowing who used it last.
Lawyers are not allowed to bring wipes or hand sanitizer inside. The meeting space is loud and our attorney struggled to prepare her client for his bond testimony.
Motions to Continue: We are diligently working to file motions to continue hearings, but working with deadlines during chaos makes this whole process feel insane. If LA parking enforcement can relax enforcement, why can’t
@DOJ_EOIR relax their deadlines amidst a national crisis?
@DOJ_EOIR relax their deadlines amidst a national crisis?
Despite protocols for lawyers,@icegov and GEO guards are not social distancing. Groups of officials stand in huddled groups together. None are wearing masks, only some wear gloves. Our clients are at grave risk due to their carelessness.
@ICEgov is literally spreading the virus while keeping people locked in a facility where they can't protect themselves. This is why we demand they #releasethemNOW #FreeThemALL #ParoleThemAll.
