Photo: John Moore / Getty Images
The fight fought during 2020 by pro-immigrant organizations to prevent the Migrants in detention were infected with COVID, it caused the number of adults in the custody of the Immigration and Customs Service (ICE) in the country to decrease, but at the same time the number of days that they were kept deprived of their liberty increased.
A report by California Attorney Xavier Becerra specified that while in February of 2020 were detained 20, 876 immigrants, for September there were 19, 989. However, the average number of days in detention increased from 103 .2 to 126 days. Although there was the case of a detainee in the Otay Mesa Center that lasted in custody 1, 250 days.
In California, between February and September there were more than 3, 200 detained from 90 countries including Mexico, India, El Salvador, Cameroon, Honduras, Guatemala, Cuba and China.
“Regardless of your circumstances or where you come from, every human being deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. This includes immigrants who are in civil detention while their cases are processed, ”said Attorney Becerra.
This is the second report on the operation of state detention centers by the California Department of Justice, which aims to increase transparency around the conditions under which immigrants live in civil custody.
“This report is essential to shed light on the conditions confinement. California demands it and we all benefit from increased transparency, ”said Becerra.
And he pointed out that one of the core values of who we are as a country is how we treat those in our care. “I am grateful to the detainees whose attendance was critical in highlighting the systematic challenges.”
In 2017, the California Legislature passed the Measure AB 103 ordering the Department of Justice to review and report on the conditions of the immigration detention centers until July 1, 2027 . This is in response to growing concerns regarding these facilities, particularly regarding five that remain in operation in the state.
In this second report, three private detention centers were examined: the Adelanto Processing Center, Otay Mesa Detention Facility and the Imperial Regional Detention Facility.
L The initial reports led to Attorney Becerra in April of 2020, to urge the Department of Homeland Security to take immediate action to minimize the spread of COVID – 19.
Systematic challenges were detected in three areas:
Security Classification Systems : It is very difficult for detained immigrants to receive a low custody rating, and very easy to be rated high based on previous convictions and arrests. But mitigating factors such as their contribution to the community prior to arrest and their good behavior while in custody are ignored.
Restricted housing conditions : Many immigrants can being placed in isolation for many months for reasons that have nothing to do with punishment but rather for protection, which can aggravate the symptoms of those suffering from mental health conditions.
Language access : Language barriers for non-English speakers and non-English readers prevent access to education programs, legal materials, essential communication, and forms to request medical care.
The Pastor Guillermo Torres, organizer of the Clerigos y Laicos Unidos Economic Justice Network (CLUE), said that the reduction in the number of detainees from Adelanto was possible thanks to the mobilizations of organizations and legal groups, since in October, a federal judge in the Central Valley of California ordered ICE to comply with an order of the 20 of April to release detained immigrants with risk factors that increase their chances of getting COVID – 19.
“ Released 250 in October, but the conditions that make it possible for immigrants with pre-existing conditions and vulnerable health are infected with coronavirus, they are still present in Advance ”, he regretted.
And he urged the California Department of Justice to stop making reports that reveal what pro-immigrant organizations already know. “It is time to take action and responsibility to stop the abuses of these detention centers.”
