Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

babylonsister

(170,964 posts)
Wed Apr 29, 2020, 02:44 PM Apr 2020

Two Guards at an ICE Detention Center With a Major Coronavirus Outbreak Have Died

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/04/two-guards-at-an-ice-detention-center-with-a-major-coronavirus-outbreak-have-died/

39 mins ago
Two Guards at an ICE Detention Center With a Major Coronavirus Outbreak Have Died
Colleagues say the men died of COVID-19. Test results are pending.


Two guards at Louisiana’s Richwood Correctional Center, where at least 45 people in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody have tested positive for COVID-19, have died in recent days, according to the local coroner’s office and colleagues’ posts on Facebook.

The Ouachita Parish coroner’s office confirmed both deaths and said that COVID-19 test results are pending. Mother Jones is withholding the men’s names to protect their family’s privacy.

On Facebook, colleagues mourning the deaths pointed to complications from COVID-19 as the cause of death. “We are going through it at Richwood Correctional,” one woman wrote. “2 of my coworkers has passed due to COVID-19 and plenty are infected y’all keep us in your prayers.”

“Prayers for my richwood family need as much as they can get right now!!!!” a second person posted. In response to a comment asking what happened, he wrote, “corona.”


LaSalle Corrections, the private prison company that runs Richwood, has not responded to multiple requests for comment. ICE spokesperson Bryan Cox referred inquiries to LaSalle Corrections, confirming that the two men are not ICE employees.

Richwood has more confirmed COVID-19 cases among people in detention than all but two of ICE’s detention facilities. Across the country, 425 of the 705 people in detention ICE tested had COVID-19, the agency revealed Tuesday. ICE’s 60 percent positive test rate is more than three times higher than the national average, further evidence that ICE is not testing many people who are infected.

Public health experts have been warning for more than a month that outbreaks in immigration detention centers were inevitable if ICE refused to use its power to release large numbers of people. ICE largely ignored those recommendations.
8 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Two Guards at an ICE Detention Center With a Major Coronavirus Outbreak Have Died (Original Post) babylonsister Apr 2020 OP
Do we have any idea how many detainees have died? DBoon Apr 2020 #1
Trump was probably in the Soylent Green business before the pandemic. lagomorph777 Apr 2020 #7
ICE needs to go ck4829 Apr 2020 #2
Looks like some of them already are... Crunchy Frog Apr 2020 #3
It was reported that Federal prisons aren't doing adequate testing. gibraltar72 Apr 2020 #4
Amy Goodman has been reporting extensively on ICE facilities and prisons Cal Carpenter Apr 2020 #5
Shame About The People They Cage Getting Infected, Ma'am The Magistrate Apr 2020 #6
Yes, Sir, beyond shameful. nt babylonsister Apr 2020 #8

DBoon

(22,288 posts)
1. Do we have any idea how many detainees have died?
Wed Apr 29, 2020, 02:47 PM
Apr 2020

or does the Trump administration consider this a state secret?

lagomorph777

(30,613 posts)
7. Trump was probably in the Soylent Green business before the pandemic.
Wed Apr 29, 2020, 04:17 PM
Apr 2020

So, no, he's certainly not going to reveal things like that now.

gibraltar72

(7,486 posts)
4. It was reported that Federal prisons aren't doing adequate testing.
Wed Apr 29, 2020, 02:57 PM
Apr 2020

Rachel reported that prison in Mi. had 705 cases it is about 25 miles from my hot spot. Mi. prisons are testing everyone. Federal prison is not. I assume no federal facility wants true numbers known.

Cal Carpenter

(4,959 posts)
5. Amy Goodman has been reporting extensively on ICE facilities and prisons
Wed Apr 29, 2020, 03:47 PM
Apr 2020

Democracy Now, available on YouTube and elsewhere.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Two Guards at an ICE Dete...