Thread by @RAICESTEXAS

Today, amidst the #COVID19 crisis, we bring back our #StoriesFromKarnes series in an effort to shed light on the inhumane & downright cruel situation migrants are facing while locked up during an epidemic of this magnitude.

We'll tell new stories until ICE agrees to #FreeThemAll

Over the next few days we'll be sharing with you a series of chilling accounts from families detained at Karnes to illustrate the gravity of the situation.

This is one of our clients, Maurice's*:

As a Haitian asylum seeker, Maurice* is locked up with his one year old son & pregnant wife.

They are scared.

"Most of the people here are women and children, many of whom are already sick or not eating well. We are all worried that if the virus reaches this detention center, many people could die.”

“The GEO officials have not said anything to us or shared important information about safety. Everything that we know has come from the news that we watch. The officials have been silent.”

And to top things off:

Our attorneys are pointing out there was no soap in their client’s dorm all day yesterday and that @GEOGroup was found telling women to wash their hands with shampoo.

This is completely unacceptable. Where are the precautions? The contingency plan?

As we've said before: the fear is from the outside in. NOT the other way around. Jail staff will be the first ones to carry the virus into detention centers.

Just today our team witnessed 2 GEO guards coughing.

One of the guards said she was feeling sick but that it was because of a medication she was taking.

She should not have been there at all if she wasn't feeling well.

Make no mistake: Our clients and all those in detention centers across the country are in danger. The only way to mitigate the harm is to release them. NOW. @ICEgov has the power to do this.

All we ask is that they do it in a safe & orderly way.
P.S. Our team is down to help.

Maurice* is right:

“I believe that if my family were to be released & continue my case outside of detention, we'd have a better chance of staying healthy. The doctors here are already not able to protect us. They're busy & frequently unable to take care of our current needs."

"My wife is sick and has ovarian cysts. She is in lots of pain and has gone to the doctors here many times but has been told treatment is not available. If this is how this center handles routine medical care, I fear for our lives if the virus reaches us and we are stuck here."

It's clear to us that ICE has not responded adequately to avoid the upcoming crisis.

We cannot look away.

Join us by adding your name to the petition and tell ICE to #FreeThemALL 🖋️
raicestexas.org/2020/03/14/tel…