Trump government agrees to release immigrants

Immigrant rights advocates have always raised their voices to defend families who are held in detention centers and prisons across the US.

Even before the COVID-19 health emergency, advocates were already calling on the government for the release of immigrants who pose no threat to society.

Since the Coronavirus outbreak, the risk in immigration detention centers and prisons is notorious because the virus spreads uncontrollably among crowds.

Detention centers are normally overcrowded and medical support for immigrants is almost nil. This is a problem that has always generated controversy in the US.

What happened since the appearance of COVID-19?

After President Trump announced a health emergency in the country on March 13, 2020, hundreds of immigrant rights advocates and judges around the country demanded the release of unjustly detained families.

It is well known that processes of the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) are delayed and detained immigrants must wait longer now to receive a response to their residency applications.

During the last weeks there have been several protests in front of detention centers in the country and that has caught the attention of the government.

Trump’s administration finally recognized the imminent risk posed by detention centers around the country. It is not just a threat to immigrants, but to the thousands of employees who work for the government.

Thus, approximately 700 immigrants have been released from detention centers around the country in the past week.

Immigrants released so far are those who are in vulnerable health and are more prone to contagion, for example pregnant women, elderly and people who have a respiratory illness.

In this way, the government ensures several things:

• Protect the most vulnerable immigrants.
• Avoid mass spread in immigration detention centers around the country.
• Protect employees of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE).

Another reason why the current government decided to free immigrants is because the number of infected people in detention centers increased to 77 last Tuesday. Thus, the threat grows increasingly in government facilities.

That is hopeful news for all detained immigrants. This decision opens a door for us to unite as humanity and help each other overcome the current crisis.

The government prohibits immigrants from entering detention centers

The current government is aware of the danger posed by immigration detention centers, therefore, nobody can be detained inside the US right now.

This means that all requests for asylum or refuge in the country are currently suspended and immigrants trying to cross the borders are deported almost immediately.

In this way, the government controls the virus outbreak and prevents a possible catastrophe at ICE’ facilities.

Figures show that a couple of weeks ago there were approximately 37,000 immigrants detained but now there are approximately 33,800. That represents almost 9% reduction. The situation finally begins to look positive for immigrants.

What are the advocates asking for?

Immigrant rights advocates want all people who pose no threat to society to be released as soon as possible.

They declare that ICE could temporarily release thousands of people while the peak of contagion decreases in the country.

In fact, Margaret Cargioli, an immigrant rights attorney, said: “Detained immigrants do not need to be in a detention center to be monitored by ICE.”

From this perspective, the government could implement new measures in the future to monitor all immigrants seeking asylum or refuge in the country and thus avoid precarious conditions for immigrant families.

It is imperative to have the correct guide for any current immigration process.

If you have any questions about an immigration issue or relating to a case you may have currently in progress, then please don’t hesitate to contact us for a FREE Phone Consultation with one of our expert immigration attorneys.

Simply call Motion Law today at: (202) 918-1799.