Source: NPR
Carlos Escobar-Mejia, a 57-year-old Salvadoran man, had been in ICE custody since January 2020 after living in the U.S. for 40 years. After a federal judge placed Carlos on a list of individuals considered “medically vulnerable and eligible for immediate release,” Carlos was taken to a hospital and passed away. This is the first confirmed COVID-19 death of a detainee in an ICE detention center.
Monicka Langarica, an ACLU attorney stated, “Despite what the government might say, and despite what the government did in this case, immigration detention is civil detention. It’s not necessary, and it should have never been a death sentence for this person.”
In April, the ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties sued ICE in federal court on behalf of four plaintiffs. The ACLU asked the judge to order the release of detainees in order to allow the detention centers to practice social distancing. Judge Jesus Bernal ordered ICE to create “‘minimum acceptable conditions’ that all facilities must follow to ensure the safety of medically vulnerable immigrants who remain in custody.” See here.
As of last week, there are 140 positive COVID-19 cases at the Otay Mesa detention center, the center where Carlos was detained.