As migrants in Fraihat v. ICE requested emergency release due to COVID-19, many professionals throughout the country wrote declarations in support. Declarants include a former ICE official, a law professor, public health experts, epidemiologists, doctors, immigrant rights advocates, and immigration attorneys. These declarants discuss relevant data on infectious disease, conditions in immigration detention centers at the time, symptoms clients had recently reported, observations on the extent of the spread of COVID-19 in clients’ facilities, and delays in legal proceedings during the pandemic. These statements provided ample support for the arguments plaintiffs made in their motion for a preliminary injunction ordering ICE to release detainees as the agency had systematically failed to uphold their basic rights. The court in Fraihat granted the plaintiffs’ emergency motion and ordered ICE to either provide safe conditions or release migrants if they could not do so.
CHLP fights stigma and discrimination at the intersection of HIV, race, health status, disability, class, sexuality and gender identity and expression, with a focus on criminal and public health systems. As part of this work, we support movement building that amplifies the power of individuals and communities to mobilize for change rooted in racial, gender and economic justice. We do this through legal advocacy, high-impact policy initiatives, and creation of cross-issue partnerships, networks, and resources.
