No positive COVID-19 cases have been reported in the general detainee population at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Seattle, Washington, officials announced Wednesday.
The Northwest Immigration and Customs Enforcement Processing Center holds new detainees who exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 or who have been exposed to the disease in housing units separate from the general detainee population, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Each New Intake Monitoring housing unit (NIM) holds four new detainees to be monitored for two weeks.
“The fact that we have had zero COVID positive test results stemming from within the general detainee population of the NWIPC is extremely important to note,” ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Seattle Field Office Director Nathalie Asher said in press release.
“That doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because of the thoughtful creation of the NIMs unit and because of the dedicated staff working every day to protect those housed within its walls,” Asher added.
“The fact that we have had zero #COVID19 positive test results stemming from within the general detainee population of the NWIPC is extremely important to note,” said ICE ERO Seattle Field Office Director Nathalie Asher. https://t.co/aLU2ct6qUd
— ERO Seattle (@EROSeattle) December 2, 2020
Detainees limited to NIM units can still access services available to the general population such as regular medical visits and religious and legal services, according to ICE. The detainees also have access to TV, radio, reading material, phones and recreation.
Detainees in a NIM unit are not permitted to interact with the general population at the center until the observation period is over, according to ICE. (RELATED: Trudeau Defends Restricting US-Canada Border, Extends Regulations Into 2021)
As detainees are allowed to enter the general population, they are assigned to housing units until their immigration removal proceedings are designated, according to ICE. Illegal immigrant detainees will appear before a federal immigration judge in immigration court before receiving a verdict.
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