Letter to Hon. Alejandro Mayorkas, Sec. Homeland Security, and Hon. Tae D. Johnson, Acting Directior of Immigration and Customs - Curb COVID Outbreak at Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma

Letter

Dear Secretary Mayorkas and Acting Director Johnson:

We write regarding the more than 300 COVID-19 cases recorded since June 6th in a COVID-19
outbreak that has had a significant and detrimental impact on individuals who are detained and
work at the Northwest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Processing Center
(NWIPC) in Tacoma, Washington. We have received multiple reports concerning the conditions
of confinement and a consistent lack of, or refusal to adhere to, evidence-based health mitigation
measures in the facility as well as during the process of transferring individuals to the facility.
These actions have endangered detained migrants and staff in the ICE detention center, leading
to the current major outbreak and continued spread of COVID-19 at the facility.

We urge the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE to take immediate action to
address this current outbreak and mitigate against future outbreaks. We understand that state and
local public health officials have made requests and suggestions to mitigate against outbreaks
within the NWIPC and improve coordination during the release of individuals from NWIPC. We
also strongly encourage DHS to exercise its discretion to utilize alternatives to detention and
prioritize the release of individuals, especially vulnerable individuals and those at higher medical
risk, who do not need to be in detention.

Of the positive cases reported at NWIPC, advocacy groups have indicated that there are now
more than 18 positive cases in GEO guards; at least two units with about 70 people total have
been placed in quarantine due to the guards exposing people detained to the virus. They have
also informed us there is at least one ICE Health Service Corps employee who is COVID-19
positive that worked in the medical isolation area. ICE argues the NWIPC meets federal public
health recommendations for correctional and detention facilities.

Prior to air travel, ICE takes migrants' temperatures and verbally screens for COVID-19 symptoms; a federal judge recently required testing for all individuals before they are transferred to the facility. Upon arrival at NWIPC, migrants are kept separate until they have received two negative COVID-19 tests. Yet, in a recent interview, a migrant held at NWIPC reported the facility's practices are not consistent with efforts to limit the spread of disease. Three migrants are assigned to sleep in four-person cells, with limited distance between beds. Facility staff do not consistently wear masks or follow cleaning protocols. For court proceedings, there are limited efforts to stagger attendance times, so migrants are in close contact with one another.

Unfortunately, this is not the first instance that unsafe conditions have been reported at the
NWIPC, as years of personal interviews with individuals and reports have uncovered inadequate
medical care, poor nutrition, unsanitary living conditions, and the exploitation of labor. In
addition, the Environmental Protection Agency recently notified NWIPC that its cleaning
regimen placed migrants at risk for unsafe exposure to pesticides. Migrants detained at NWIPC
are tasked with a daily cleaning regimen that includes 48 distinct applications of GS Neutral
Disinfectant Cleaner and Sani-T-10 Plus, both of which can cause severe skin burns and serious
eye damage, according to the manufacturer, Spartan Chemical Company, Inc. Microwaves,
sinks, and counters are cleaned with the chemicals nine times a day, and dining tables are
cleaned six times a day--before and after each meal. These cleaning protocols were
implemented to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, but individuals continue to contract
COVID-19 in high numbers.

We are gravely concerned about the health and safety of detained people and staff at the
Northwest ICE Processing Center. The lack of adequate safety protocols during transfer, unsafe
and cramped living conditions, and failure to adhere to recommendations on masking has fed
into the growing COVID-19 outbreak and continued spread within the facility.

The federal government has an obligation to protect the health, safety, and rights of detained
individuals and the wellbeing of the staff, families, and the surrounding communities of ICE
detention centers. We urge DHS and ICE to take steps to review and improve current practices in
transferring and maintaining the health and safety of people within detention at the NWIPC.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.