The IRC raises its voice for immigrants detained in the US

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is an organization that responds to the most worrisome humanitarian crises around the world. This entity helps communities living in extremely vulnerable conditions, in the midst of conflict or imminent danger.

Earlier this week, the IRC openly communicated its concern about immigration detention centers belonging to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE).

This federal entity is responsible for detaining immigrants who attempt to cross the country’s borders without legal authorization, protecting the borders and supervising immigration detention centers.

Since the global Coronavirus pandemic hit the North American territory, these detention centers have generated enormous concern among immigrant rights advocates for multiple reasons.

Let’s see some of them:

1. Immigration detention centers are normally overcrowded and do not have enough space to have the social distance recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
2. Immigrants do not always have access to toilets in adequate hygiene conditions, soap or daily showers.
3. There are dozens of detained immigrants who suffer from underlying health conditions that make them more likely to get the COVID-19 and have possible complications.
4. ICE is deporting excessively during the health crisis, endangering more vulnerable territories.

Therefore, IRC made a public call for ICE to release a portion of the detained immigrants and avoid a catastrophe within its facilities.

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IRC’s arguments

The IRC calls for the release of immigrants detained by ICE, at least temporarily, to prevent a spread of Coronavirus worse than it is today.

The main arguments of the IRC are:

• According to official figures presented by ICE, more than 20% of detainees have tested positive for the Coronavirus.
• The IRC assures that these figures are not true and that the actual number of those infected within immigration detention centers could be 15 times greater than today.
• ICE has sent more than 450 deportation flights to Latin American third world countries such as Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Colombia and Jamaica during 2020.
  These countries have reported dozens of immigrants deported from the US who have tested positive for the COVID-19.
• ICE moves immigrants from one detention center to others around the country, increasing the risk of a massive outbreak within its facilities.
• Positive cases of Coronavirus within ICE facilities are growing exponentially, risking the lives of innocent immigrants unnecessarily.

IRC’s director for the immigration sector states: “Locking up individuals seeking safety during the most infectious pandemic in 100 years is beyond inhumane. Public health experts universally agree that social distancing is one of the most important measures we can all take to combat the spread of COVID-19, something that is impossible in ICE’s detention facilities”.

Therefore, the IRC requests collaboration from ICE to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe unprecedented in the recent history of the US.

Avoid illegal immigration

On many occasions, immigrants decide to cross the borders of the US without legal documentation due to the lack of information regarding the processes established by local law.

However, the reality is that there is a wide range of options available for you to legally migrate to the US. Perhaps the missing key piece is for you to get the help of immigration experts.

It is well known that immigration processes can take a considerable amount of time, but it is better to file an application correctly than to risk your family’s future.

Motion Law Immigration offers a reliable and affordable service for your immigration journey in the US.

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.