What is COVID-19?
COVID-19 is an airborne coronavirus whose outbreak has been classified as a global pandemic as of March 2020.
This highly transmittable virus is spread through respiratory droplets that are released when a person sneezes or coughs (Cascella et al., 2020). Contact with these droplets to the eyes, nose or mouth can infect an individual. The virus can also survive on surfaces, so an individual could be infected if they touch a contaminated surface and then their face (Hafeez et al., 2020). The virus commonly causes fever, cough, shortness of breath, and new loss of smell and/or taste in infected individuals. While less common, complications can include pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and sepsis (Cascella et al., 2020). With an incubation period of 2-14 days, individuals with COVID-19 may be asymptomatic and spreading the virus before feeling any symptoms. Regular handwashing, cleaning of surfaces, social distancing, face mask usage, and avoidance of gatherings are all preventative measures to protect against becoming infected with COVID-19 (Hafeez et al., 2020). Those infected, and those believed to be infected, are urged to isolate themselves from others to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.
How much has COVID-19 spread in ICE Detention Centers?
COVID-19 has disproportionately affected detainees being kept in ICE Detention Centers compared to the US general population. As of November 19, 2020, there have been 7,339 confirmed COVID-19 cases since the first detainee tested positive on March 25, 2020 (Erfani et al., 2021). Additionally, there were 8 deaths in ICE Detention Centers that were reported to be a direct result of COVID-19 as of December 2020. Despite the number of COVID-19 cases in ICE Detention Centers already being high, these statistics are a significant underrepresentation of the reality. Even with access to testing, ICE has failed to provide widespread testing of all their detainees.
The extent of how quickly COVID-19 has spread throughout ICE Detention Centers can be observed by examining their testing and cases in May 2020. Out of their population of 27,193 detainees, only 1,751 individuals were tested for COVID-19, or approximately 6.44%. Out of the 1,751 individuals tested, 916 tested positive for COVID-19 (Erfani et al., 2021). With a test positivity rate of over 52%, it is clear that ICE Detention Centers have been much more affected by COVID-19 than the general population (there was a 7% test positivity rate for the US general population in May 2020).
Why is COVID-19 spreading faster in ICE Detention Centers?
In April 2020, there was a reported population of 31,828 detainees being kept in ICE Detention Centers (Erfani et al., 2021). While that number fell below 22,000 by August 2020, overcrowding still remains one of the biggest reasons as to why COVID-19 has spread so quickly in ICE Detention Centers. Current recommendations for COVID-19 prevention include social distancing of at least 6 feet. However, this is simply not possible with the current sizes of ICE Detention Centers. Detainees are kept very close to one another, so contact with respiratory droplets of an infected individual is very likely.
Over 3,000 medical professionals have warned that it is only a matter of time before the virus spreads throughout jails, detention center and surrounding communities.
Fernández et al., n.d.
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This is not a problem that is unique to the current pandemic. In 2019, roughly 10% of ICE detainees were quarantined after exposure to mumps and chickenpox. In August 2019 alone, there were 898 cases of mumps in 57 ICE Detention Centers (Fernández et al., n.d.). The lack of medical care in ICE Detention Centers has consistently resulted in outbreaks of contagious diseases, and this has not changed with the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to living in crowded spaces, detainees have repeatedly been denied access to soap and masks (Immigrant Detention and COVID-19, n.d.). People in the US general population are told to wear masks and frequently wash their hands, but this is not made possible for detainees in ICE Detention Centers. Masks have been proven to be very effective in preventing the spread of COVID-19, and it is especially important that infected individuals wear them. Without masks, infected individuals can easily release respiratory droplets into the air and on surrounding surfaces. Healthy individuals can easily come into contact with the respiratory droplets in the air, and the lack of soap makes it more likely for them to be infected from touching a contaminated surface.
The lack of testing and resources in these overcrowded detention centers have greatly contributed to the quick spread of COVID-19 in US Detention Centers. While efforts have been made to minimize the population of ICE Detention Centers, it is not happening quick enough and there are still reports of more people being taken into custody. ICE has also tried to slow the spread of COVID-19 through the usage of HDQ Neutral in Adelanto Detention Center, but the problems with this can be seen here.
Why should we be concerned?
ICE has failed to drastically reduce the impact of COVID-19 in ICE Detention Centers, and this has resulted in consequences outside of their walls. Other than detainees, many employees of ICE Detention Centers have also been exposed to COVID-19. While there are reports of how many ICE employees have tested positive, there is no accurate estimate for how many non-ICE employees have been infected while in the detention centers. It is likely that these employees have further spread COVID-19 in their own communities as reports have shown higher case counts in surrounding counties. Between May and August of 2020, there have been a reported amount of over 245,000 cases in the US that can be linked to ICE Detention Centers (Hooks & Libal, 2020).
While the population of ICE Detention Centers has been decreasing, this is due to the increased deportations. Increased deportations have taken a toll on how COVID-19 has spread in other countries. Many countries like Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Jamaica, and Mexico have reported that many people tested positive upon arrival in their countries in the first few months of the pandemic (Hooks & Libal, 2020). Testing has become mandated by several countries before the US deports their detainees, but this can be ineffective if they are tested before exposure or while in their incubation period. Further actions need to be made by ICE to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on an international level.
Because COVID-19 has only been considered a global pandemic for less than a year, it is difficult to know how extensive the long-term effects are. Many people who have recovered from COVID-19 have reported fatigue and muscle weakness after recovering. Additionally, there have also been high amounts of reports of sleep difficulties, anxiety, and depression (Huang et al., 2021). These long-term physical and mental health effects can be quite damaging for anyone, but it is likely especially difficult for detainees being forced to live in detention centers and not being given human rights.
This YouTube video was created by women detained at the Irwin County ICE Processing Center.
"Women detained at Irwin County ICE Processing Center in Ocilla, Georgia, risk retaliation from guards to plea for their release from detention as cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed at the jail." (April 13, 2020)