Complaint: American Oversight v. DHS, ICE, DOJ, and BOP — Coronavirus Outbreak in Prisons

Squalid conditions, overcrowding, cold temperatures, inadequate medical care, and even tragic deaths — the emergence of disturbing reports and images from migrant detention facilities added a troubling layer to the Trump administration’s hardline anti-immigration stance.

The United States could have saved tens of thousands of lives if social distancing had been adopted just one week earlier in March. But as the virus spread unheeded through communities, then President Donald Trump repeatedly downplayed the threat, assuring Americans that the coronavirus was just like the flu and that it would disappear on its own.

As the country shut down and millions began social distancing, immigrants in detention facilities were denied sanitary supplies, masks, and testing. American Oversight is investigating how the administration’s response to the pandemic has affected the thousands of immigrants trapped in detention centers.

Tens of thousands of people in the prison system have tested positive for Covid-19 — all while prison officials continue to under-test and fail to take measures to ease crowded conditions. American Oversight is investigating how federal and state prison systems have responded to the pandemic.