Originally posted by the Voice of America.
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Immigration Detention Centers Could be Vulnerable to COVID Infections

Aline Barros

   At a time when people around the world are being told to keep a
   distance from one another to prevent coronavirus transmission,
   thousands of undocumented immigrants in U.S. detention facilities have
   no choice but to share often-cramped quarters where no physical
   distancing is possible.

   A spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement told VOA that,
   as of this past week, there were no confirmed cases of COVID-19 among
   detainees in ICE custody.

   The agency did not disclose whether it has coronavirus testing kits at
   detention facilities, nor whether any detainees have, in fact, been
   tested. In a statement, ICE said it is following guidelines set by the
   U.S. Center for Disease Control to screen and isolate any detainee who
   shows symptoms consistent with COVID-19.

   "ICE is actively working with state and local health partners to
   determine if any detainee requires additional testing or monitoring to
   combat the spread of the virus," ICE spokeswoman Jenny Burke wrote in
   an email to VOA.

   Immigration advocates are not satisfied, saying an outbreak of COVID-19
   would be disastrous in a crowded detention facility.

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