Category: In the News
Gay City News: Advocates Demand Help for Vulnerable Prisoners, Homeless Folks
“There is also attention on the plight of individuals in custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which was already tied to poor living conditions before the coronavirus outbreak. The Bronx Defenders and the Legal Aid Society on March 23 filed for a temporary restraining order intended to bring about the release of ICE clients who […]
Patch: Stuck In Jail During A Pandemic: Coronavirus Hits NJ Prisons
“According to the groups – The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn Defender Services and The Bronx Defenders – the inmates are rallying against “egregious conditions” and inaction by ICE to prevent the spread of COVID-19. “Among reports of egregious conditions, we have heard that ICE is not responding to medical sick calls and that there are […]
Tuscon Sentinel: How federal agencies put immigrants and immigration workers at risk amid coronavirus outbreak
“As USCIS kept most of its offices open Monday, immigrants and their lawyers were left waiting for appointments in often crowded lobbies. While new decisions continued to be issued by the hour, the lack of aggressive action raisedthe prospect that the virus will gain a foothold in detention centers just as public health leaders are […]
Slate: Harvey Weinstein Reportedly Tests Positive for COVID-19 as Virus Spreads in NY Jails
“News of Weinstein’s diagnosis comes as at least 38 people have tested positive for coronavirus inside New York City jails. Jacqueline Sherman, the interim chairwoman of the New York City Board of Correction, sent a letter to state and city officials on Saturday detailing that 21 inmates, 12 Department of Corrections employees, and five Central Health […]
Vice: 2 Coronavirus Cases Confirmed in New Jersey Prison with ICE Detainees
“The news comes amid reports of a growing number of COVID-19 cases inside correctional facilities in the New York City area. At least 38 people on Rikers Island — both inmates and employees — have tested positive for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. ICE detainees at the Hudson County jail and two other […]
The New York Times: ‘A Storm Is Coming’: Fears of an Inmate Epidemic as the Virus Spreads in the Jails
“Public defenders and advocates for inmates have called for sending home all inmates with pre-existing medical conditions, those over 50 and anyone jailed for a parole violation. “It is a ticking time bomb,” said Justine Olderman, executive director of the Bronx Defenders. “We’re looking for bold action and leadership.” On Saturday, the Board of Correction, […]
Vice: Immigrants Are Now on Hunger Strike in 3 ICE Detention Centers Over Coronavirus Fears
“Attorneys who represent detainees at the Hudson and Essex County facilities say inmates are reporting threats and intimidation by guards when they’re heard discussing conditions on the phone. Because detention centers across the country have already canceled in-person visits from family and attorneys as a precautionary measure, this means detainees are increasingly isolated and in […]
Business Insider: A Rikers Island inmate contracted coronavirus. Experts say jails are at high risk for an outbreak.
Inmates there and around New York City have lodged complaints that the jails lack “basic sanitation measures,” according to the Legal Aid Society. “There are broken sinks, there’s no hand sanitizer, people don’t have access to soap,” Justine Olderman, executive director of Bronx Defenders, told The Intercept. “And at a time we’re all being asked to […]
NJ.com: ICE detainees go on hunger strike in N.J amid coronavirus fears, lawyers say
“The hunger strike just underlines how deeply problematic ICE’s management of the situation is,” the joint statement said. “We are in the midst of an unprecedented crisis. ICE has done nothing to rise to the occasion but instead continues to put the lives of hundreds of people at risk.” The statement says that attorneys from […]
The Appeal: ICE Detainees Launch Hunger Strike Over Coronavirus Fears
The organizers are attempting to spread the strike through the whole facility, including to workers at the jail. “We are asking our fellow brothers in ICE [custody] to join us. We are also asking the kitchen workers that work in the main kitchen downstairs to not go to work,” the strikers said. “There is power […]