So here’s the latest from our #COVID detention world: in early April (seems like light years ago now), we filed a lawsuit in Virginia seeking release of 9 medically vulnerable people nipnlg.org/PDFs/practitio… /1
The case was really strong. Our clients were all at high risk of serious illness or death. We had multiple health expert declarations explaining the risks. We had powerful declarations from clients and facilities experts. /2
Notably, we described how ICE was continuing to transfer people to the VA facilities from places with high rates of COVID-19 infections, against all public health expert recommendations. This shows ICE’s utter, callous disregard for the life and safety of those it detains. /3
We urged the court to release our clients because of the severe risk of harm they were facing. One facility already had 2 confirmed COVID cases and the other was accepting transfers from everywhere. /4
The judge basically ignored our entire factual record. He cited the government’s 2 declarations 50 times and not a single time to our dozen client and expert decs - it was as though he hadn’t even read them. He did not mention the ongoing transfers or the lack of testing. /5
He was content to let out clients rot in jail. We appealed the decision, but appeals take time, and our clients are still detained. And because of that, right now, several of them are at Farmville in an extremely dangerous situation. /6
Here is what’s happening at Farmville right now: because of ICE’s outrageous transfers of people between facilities, there is a massive COVID-19 outbreak going on, with 48 confirmed cases so far. Which means lives and health and safety are at risk. /7
We are hearing that 2 dorms are under quarantine, that people are not able to get the medical care they need, that people with symptoms are not being tested. And in response to peaceful protests guards used violence against people afraid for their lives from a lethal disease. /8
This is the reality of ICE’s abusive detention system. They have been warned 100s of times that people’s lives are at risk. They have been warned that #COVID spreads like wildfire in detention centers. They have done *nothing* to protect those who are medically vulnerable. /9
And they have refused to release people and have insisted on continuing to run their bloated detention machine in the middle of a pandemic. It’s so outrageous that we as a society are standing by and letting this happen. This system has to end. /10
COVID makes the harms more stark - but the real evil here is the detention and enforcement system itself. People need to wake up and demand an end to the caging of people—especially how, but also always. /11
We @NIPNLG are continuing to work with our partners @CAIRCoalition @LegalAidJustice @SanctuaryDMV and many other groups to shine a light on this abuse and get people out of a death trap. You can help. Call your reps and tell them to release those in ICE detention now. /end
