With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today during our fall member drive.
ICE Employee Tests Positive For COVID-19 At Adelanto Detention Center
Adelanto U.S. Immigration and Enforcement Processing Center. (Chris Carlson/AP)
()
An employee with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement working at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center has tested positive for COVID-19, according to the agency.
ICE said the employee was a deportation officer and tested positive for COVID-19 on May 5. The agency said the officer doesn't have contact with detainees "in his line of duty" and had been teleworking. The officer has been self-quarantining at home.
The agency said there have been no other confirmed COVID cases among staff or detainees at the San Bernardino County facility, which as of last week held about 1,200 immigrant detainees.
The facility is operated by The GEO Group, a private corrections company.
Support for LAist comes from
Last week, a 57-year-old man born in El Salvador who had been held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego became the first known detainee to die from COVID-19 complications. According to news reports, Carlos Escobar Mejia had lived in the U.S. for 40 years.
Nationwide, ICE has tested 1,788 detainees. More than half, 943, have tested positive for COVID-19.
Last month, the ACLU of Southern California sued ICE to reduce the population at the Adelanto facility over concerns about COVID-19. A federal judge ordered ICE to release detainess, but the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a temporary halt on the order.
READ MORE
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
A tort claim obtained by LAist via a public records request alleges the Anaheim procurement department lacks basic contracting procedures and oversight. -
Flauta, taquito, tacos dorados? Whatever they’re called, they’re golden, crispy and delicious. -
If California redistricts, the conservative beach town that banned LGBTQ Pride flags on city property would get a gay, progressive Democrat in Congress. -
Most survivors of January's fires face a massive gap in the money they need to rebuild, and funding to help is moving too slowly or nonexistent. -
Kevin Lacy has an obsession with documenting California’s forgotten and decaying places. -
Restaurants share resources in the food hall in West Adams as Los Angeles reckons with increasing restaurant closures.
Best of LAist