upper waypoint

SF Public Defender Will Take ICE to Court Over Crowded Detention Centers Amid Pandemic

Save ArticleSave Article
Failed to save article

Please try again

Coronavirus Live Updates logo.

Immigrant advocates and San Francisco’s public defender are suing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to substantially reduce the population at two detention centers in California, saying it’s the only way of protecting detainees from coronavirus.

This is the first class action lawsuit filed on behalf of the more than 400 people detained by ICE at the Yuba County Jail and a facility in Bakersfield.

None has yet been diagnosed with COVID-19, but advocates say that — unless ICE can reduce crowding — it’s just a matter of time.

“Despite consensus among public health experts that these conditions will lead to an outbreak of the deadly coronavirus, ICE has consistently failed to take necessary steps to protect the health of the people detained,” said San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju in a press release. “We cannot sit and watch our clients suffer in these outrageous conditions — we have to use whatever legal tools we have to protect them.”

More than 200 ICE detainees have tested positive across the country.

Sponsored

The lawsuit comes just a day after a federal judge in Los Angeles ordered ICE to consider releasing every high-risk person in its custody nationally.

ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

-- Tyche Hendricks (@TycheHendricks)

lower waypoint
next waypoint