A Mumps Quarantine in Louisiana May Have Compromised Rights of Detained Immigrants

A mumps outbreak and quarantine at the Pine Prairie Immigration and Customs Enforcement Processing Center in Louisiana blocked immigrants from legal resources, including their lawyers and the law library, for about two weeks in January and February, according to the attorneys. The outbreak has also raised questions about how officials dealing with public health concerns can undermine detainees’ legal rights. Lawyers said the illness did not stop immigration court proceedings — meaning from at least Feb. 3 to Feb. 14 quarantined individuals were required to continue with removal hearings, conducted from their dorm rooms via video chat, while not receiving access to legal aid. Pine Prairie, run by the privately held GEO Group, is a 100-mile drive northwest of Baton Rouge. It holds about 700 immigrants awaiting hearings to decide whether they can stay in the United States, accept voluntary repatriation or face deportation. Emily Trostle, an attorney with the local branch of the Southern Poverty Law Center, estimates about half of these people — between 300 and 400 — were quarantined to their dorms. As of Feb. 14, 288 detained people were under quarantine, according to an ICE spokesman. Per ICE, six people at Pine Prairie had a confirmed or likely case of mumps before Jan. 15; seven cases were reported between Jan. 15 and Jan. 30; and five were reported in February. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also did not respond to requests for ...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized public health Source Type: news