Immigrants may bear the brunt of the pandemic

The coronavirus did not arrive in the United States in the bodies of migrants and asylum seekers. Airline passengers, traveling for business, family visits or vacations, most likely transported COVID-19 to our shores. This was unintentional. But many countries, including our own, were slow to awaken to the danger.

Now, ironically, desperate people who trudged through Mexico to ask for asylum may be at greatest risk in this pandemic. The Trump administration now requires most asylum seekers to wait for their court dates in northern Mexico. In those makeshift camps, thousands survive on a poor diet in unsanitary conditions, an environment ripe for the rapid spread of disease.

Asking for asylum in another country is a legal right and applicants are not illegal border crossers. If we faced a threat of death or harm to our children, wouldn’t we go to any lengths to protect our families?

In this country, other asylum seekers languish in crowded detention centers to wait for a distant court date. It is impossible to maintain social distance or even wash hands frequently. If a guard or detainee brings the virus to the center, the sickness could spread like wildfire.

States are releasing some nonviolent prisoners to reduce crowding. Why is our government still holding thousands of people who have never been accused or convicted of a crime against other persons? In late March, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) held 49,447 people in detention, reported the Washington Post. Many have family or potential sponsors who would house them while they wait.

“ICE’s unnecessary detention of tens of thousands of people poses a massive threat to public health. Detaining anyone solely for migration-related reasons during a global pandemic is cruel, reckless and deadly,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director for Amnesty International.

Homeland Security had a family case management program to release immigrants while they waited for court dates. In 2017, DHS’s Inspector General reported a high rate of compliance for 954 participants. Only 2 percent failed to report to ICE or immigration court. Unfortunately, the Trump administration suspended the program.

Please write to your representatives in Congress, or the Department of Homeland Security. Ask them to release asylum seekers before COVID-19 takes a deadly toll in our detention enters.