Updated on 04/12/2020 at 10:54
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The increase in cases infected and deceased by the coronavirus in the United States has made the highest authorities of the US Immigration and Customs Service (ICE, in English), pledge to stop organizing immigration raids in the main states of the North American country.
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In the middle of the pandemic that has already claimed the lives of 18,500 and around 500,000 confirmed cases, The immigration agency has confirmed that it will only arrest individuals with crimes of exploitation of minors, trafficking in persons or drugs and activity by gangs or terrorists.
It’s more, ICE It identified some 600 immigrants in a vulnerable situation who were detained at their different headquarters. 160 of them were released. According to figures from the American Civil Rights Union (ACLU), 35,000 migrants are in the custody of this organization.
What does ICE do?
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- It handles the deportation of undocumented immigrants in the United States.
- Research and execute more than 400 federal statutes within the United States.
- He is responsible for US economic, border, transportation, and infrastructure security.
- Some of his criminal and civil investigations are related to child exploitation, trade, drug trafficking, fraud, financial crimes, human trafficking, illegal arms exports, terrorism, gang violence, among others.
- It has a presence in the diplomatic missions of this North American country abroad.
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What can’t ICE do during the pandemic?
- Conduct raids and arrests in hospitals, doctors’ offices, accredited health clinics, and urgent or emergency care centers.
- Prohibit detainees from their different locations from not attending the doctor for presenting symptoms of COVID-19. The organization has the obligation to previously notify the detainee’s status to the medical attention center.
- Do not let detainees communicate with their families or legal representatives. Although social visits have been temporarily suspended to lessen the impact of the coronavirus in their spaces, ICE has clarified that access to phone calls, teleconferences and email will be facilitated with extended hours.
- Do not release the most vulnerable detainees to the virus, such as those over 60 and pregnant women. As explained on its website, to date, ICE has released 160 immigrants who were in a vulnerable situation. Medical records, immigration records, criminal records, potential threat to citizen security, risk of flight, and national security concerns were reviewed. “This same assessment methodology is currently being applied to other possibly vulnerable populations in custody, as well as making custody decisions for all new arrests,” they said in a statement.
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What to do if you are put into immigration custody (ICE)?
The American Civil Rights Union (ACLU), which has protected immigrants’ rights and freedoms for more than 25 years, has developed guidelines that every undocumented person must follow:
- Do not resist arrest.
- You have the right to a lawyer. If you don’t have one or can’t afford it, you can ask them to provide you with a list of free or low-cost legal advice service providers.
- You have the right to make a phone call within 24 hours.
- You can contact the consulate or make an official notification to the consulate of your arrest.
- Tell the immigration agent that you want to remain silent. Do not discuss your immigration status with anyone other than your attorney.
- Do not sign anything until you first speak to a lawyer.
- Read all the documents. If you don’t understand, let the officer know you need an interpreter.
- Remember your immigration number and give it to your family. This is key so they can easily locate you.
- Have a copy of your migration documents with someone you trust.
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What to do if asked about your immigration status?
- You have the right to remain silent, and there is no reason for you to discuss your immigration or citizenship status with the police, immigration agents, or any other officer.
- You don’t have to answer questions about where you were born, if you are a US citizen, or how you entered the country.
- If you are not a citizen of the United States and an immigration agent asks for your documents, you must show them to them. If you don’t have immigration documents, tell them you want to remain silent.
- Do not lie about your citizenship status or give false documents, as this will complicate your situation.
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ICE and immigrants
- In 2008, the Office of Detention and Deportation of the ICE came to arrest more than 158,500 immigrants who were in the United States without authorization.
- In one of his three-week operations in California, 900 people were arrested.
- In July last year, US President Donald Trump commissioned officers from ICE to carry out raids in a dozen cities in the country in order to arrest thousands of undocumented immigrants. The assignment: deport them to their respective countries.
How is the coronavirus spread?
COVID-19 is spread by contact of a healthy person with another who is infected. This disease spreads from person to person through droplets from the nose or mouth when the sick person coughs or exhales.
In many cases, these droplets fall on objects or surfaces, which are later touched by other individuals and carried to the nose, eyes, or mouth when they pass their hands over their faces.
How to prevent the spread of the coronavirus?
To reduce the probability of contagion there are several ways. The main ones are:
· Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds and use alcohol or disinfecting gel.
· Keep a minimum distance of 1 meter from anyone.
· Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, because your hands when you touch many objects and surfaces can pick up the virus.
· Maintain good respiratory hygiene: if you cough or sneeze, your mouth and nose should be covered with your elbow bent or with a tissue, which should be discarded immediately.
· Stay home if you are not feeling well. In case you have fever, cough and shortness of breath, seek medical attention and follow the instructions given by health personnel.
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