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ImmigrationProf Blog
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Medical experts urge coordinated vaccine strategy in ICE detention

By immigrationprof

Three medical experts are urging the Biden administration to do more to vaccinate immigrants in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention, according to a letter obtained by CNN. According to their letter to Congressional leadership, medical experts who contracted with the Department of Homeland Security say DHS has not implemented a comprehensive plan to address the spread of COVID in immigration detention facilities and that it is a continuing threat:

The Biden administration has made great strides in controlling the pandemic in many areas of the country, largely by concentrating on vaccine distribution to the general public. Immigrant detention settings, however, continue to be a significant source of spread for COVID and disproportionate harm to detainees, workers and the public, yet DHS has still not implemented a comprehensive plan to address the spread of COVID in immigration detention facilities.”

Drs. Scott Allen, Pamela McPherson and Josiah “Jody” Rich explain that ICE vaccination procedures (in a document titled “Covid-19 Pandemic Response Requirements,”) put the onus on detention facilities to contact their states’ vaccine resources, such as state or county departments of health, to obtain vaccines. This strategy has resulted in only a limited number being vaccinated, in part because of the differing priority guidance across states. “
 
Acting ICE Director Tae Johnson says they have been considering working directly with CDC and HHS to get their our own batch of vaccines and deploy them across the country to the ICE detainee population. As of May 5, some 2,707 detainees had received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine and 1,229 were fully vaccinated.
 
ICE detention facilities have wrestled with a growing number of positive cases during the pandemic, totaling more than 18,000 confirmed cases and nine deaths. As of June 23, there are 765 Covid-19 cases in ICE custody, according to agency data. There are more than 26,000 immigrants in ICE custody, as of June 18.
 
MHC

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