ICE LOCKS DOWN FACILITY AS WOMEN PROTEST HANDLING OF POSSIBLE TUBERCULOSIS CASE – By Felipe De La Hoz (The Intercept) / June 12 2021
Women detained by ICE staged a protest after learning of possible tuberculosis exposure. Facility staff responded by taking away phone access.
WOMEN DETAINED AT the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, Louisiana, have been put on a communications lockdown after internal protests in response to a possible case of tuberculosis among the detained population, a lack of prompt medical treatment, and poor communication about their immigration cases.
Six women at the private immigration facility, which is run by the prison conglomerate GEO Group on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told The Intercept on Thursday that staff had informed them a woman at the facility had tested positive for the serious bacterial infection, and that they would have to go into quarantine, which entails remaining in their cells without joint meals and recreation time. The notification set off a minor panic among the detained population.
Mindy Faciane, a spokesperson for the Louisiana Department of Health, confirmed that department staff had been informed of a possible tuberculosis case at the facility and were working with ICE personnel to monitor the situation. “We are aware of a detainee with a suspected case. It has not been confirmed. ICE detainees in federal facilities are treated at those facilities, so they don’t come through our public health system, but our regional team is providing treatments and contact investigation guidance to the facility staff,” she said, adding that ICE was following the health department’s guidance.
A representative for the GEO Group did not respond to questions about the situation. ICE acknowledged receiving questions on Friday but did not provide comment.
CONTINUE > https://theintercept.com/2021/06/12/ice-louisiana-tuberculosis/
