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Detained immigrants plead for masks, protection from coronavirus

This July 10, 2018 file photo shows a sign that reads "Families Belong Together" on a fence outside the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Wash. Immigrant rights groups want U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to release detainees at its Washington state jail who are at high risk from the coronavirus. In a letter sent to ICE late Monday, March 9, 2020, the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and Columbia Legal Services said ICE should release on parole any detainees who are older than 60, pregnant, or who have underlying conditions such as a weakened immune system or heart or lung disease. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
This July 10, 2018 file photo shows a sign that reads "Families Belong Together" on a fence outside the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Wash. Immigrant rights groups want U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to release detainees at its Washington state jail who are at high risk from the coronavirus. In a letter sent to ICE late Monday, March 9, 2020, the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and Columbia Legal Services said ICE should release on parole any detainees who are older than 60, pregnant, or who have underlying conditions such as a weakened immune system or heart or lung disease. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

By NOMAAN MERCHANT / The Associated Press 5 min read

HOUSTON (AP) – Elsy was on the phone in an immigration detention center when guards showed up with face masks and forms to sign.

The asylum-seeker from El Salvador and others had resorted to tearing their T-shirts into face coverings after a woman in their unit tested positive for COVID-19. But the guards would not give out the masks until the detainees signed the forms, which said they could not hold the private prison company running the detention center in San Diego liable if they got the coronavirus, according to Elsy and two other detainees, including one who read the form to The Associated Press over the phone.

When they refused Friday, the guards took away the masks, said Elsy, who spoke on condition that her last name be withheld for fear of retribution.

While U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has started to lower the number of detainees to reduce the risk of people getting sick, those held in immigration jails and their advocates say there’s not enough protective gear, cleaning supplies or space to allow for social distancing. They fear the number of coronavirus cases will sharply rise in the coming weeks as it has in jails and prisons nationwide.

The Otay Mesa Detention Center, where Elsy is held, jumped from one confirmed case last week to 15 on Tuesday. ICE reported 77 detainees in 13 states have tested positive and hundreds of others are quarantined.