Immigration Detention & Coronavirus

The U.S. government hold tens of thousands of noncitizens in civil detention each day. Most detention facilities mimic (or are leased areas of) criminal detention facilities: jails and prisons.

It’s not a question of if coronavirus will hit this population, but when.

CNN’s Van Jones and Jessica Jackson argue that the United States should take the following steps to protect the nation’s incarcerated population from this disease:

1. Identify people who are scheduled to be released from prison or jail in the next six months and release them into home confinement, barring a specific reason against doing so.
2. Parole prisoners over the age of 65, with priority given to those who have underlying health conditions that make them particularly susceptible to the virus.
3. Suspend copays for medical visits made by incarcerated persons.
4. Make hand sanitizer and other personal hygiene products available to incarcerated persons free of charge.
5. Implement smart social distancing policies.

While their recommendations focus on those in criminal custody they are recommendations that the government should consider for immigration detainees as well.

-KitJ