Another ICE Horror

by Angie Liew

The word “immigrant” has garnered a rather negative connotation across the media all across the globe. Are they violent criminals who roam dark alleyways? Cheap labor to steal jobs from citizens? Undocumented individuals planning to live off taxpayer money? For the most part, these stereotypes have painted a harmful image for many; treatments have grown harsh in America with Trump’s preceding policies, but what happened to this discriminated group during the COVID-19 pandemic? 

Trump’s campaign heavily emphasized his promise to prioritize the American citizens above illegal immigrants. This policy is not without reason, but many have criticized the additional economic repercussions of reducing the number of legal immigrants by approximately 49%. While it is true that any given country cannot simply accept all the individuals who may show up at their shores, many disturbing headlines about America’s mistreatment of immigrants in ICE (Immigration & Customs Enforcement) detention need to be brought forth into the spotlight and discussed and criticized for their lack of respect for human decency amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Mid-to-late of 2020, the pandemic continued its widespread sweep across the United States, prisons and ICE detention centers soon became hotspots for virus cases. Many of such facilities are run by a company named GEO Group Inc., which was previously accused of a lack of preventative measures against the virus’s spread. In a feeble attempt to combat the criticism, the company began using the disinfectant “HDQ Neutral” in its facilities over 50 times a day. However, the guards were spraying the harmful chemicals on all surfaces in unventilated areas, leading to inmates suffering from side-effects such as long-lasting nosebleeds, headaches, burning eye sensations, rashes, nausea, and breathing difficulties—numerous detainees were hospitalized. Outraged, activists have taken to social media to protest the hazardous misconduct, calling it a “modern-day slow gas chamber”.

On another note, even after months of political and public health debates, ICE has shown insufficient effort to implement safety measures for detainees: From denying requests for access to soap, protective face masks, proper virus tests, and even isolation. As of January 2021, some states have already committed to vaccinating the incarcerated populations in federal prisons, yet ICE continues to cast aside their accountability for detainees’ health under their care, still proceeding without a vaccine rollout strategy for individuals that remain in the crowded facilities.

Now in late January, the Biden announced a 100-day freeze of deportations for undocumented immigrants, outlining a new system to prioritize certain categories for removal. These include people who arrived at US borders after the first of November 2020, those convicted of any “aggravated felonies”, and those who pose a national or public safety risk. Homeland Security has also announced their plan to suspend Trump’s policy, commonly known as the “remain in Mexico” policy, which forced tens of thousands of asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while awaiting a slot in immigration court. With this being said, President Biden’s new proposal urges individuals outside of the United States to “remain where they are”, noting that immigrants outside of the nation will not qualify for a legal citizenship path for the time being. Unfortunately, such plans are temporarily blocked due to a restraining order after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the Biden Administration for being “unconstitutional”.  The Southern Texas District judge Drew Tipton granted the restraining order for the reason of “maintaining the status quo”. 

For many, the 100-day halt would only be the start of a nearly lifelong fight for legal citizenship in the United States. Still, only time will tell what crucial actions will follow, and how the Biden Administration will push through in altering the extreme policies from the days of President Trump.