Re: ICE did not ensure migrants were tested for COVID-19 before boarding domestic flights: DHS OIG

[Prisoner Hillary Clinton]

In article <XnsACBFEC41...@95.216.243.224>
<governo...@gmail.com> wrote:

ERO detains single adults at more than 120 detention facilities
across the country

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) failed to adequately
follow procedures to ensure that migrants encountered at the
southern border were tested for COVID-19 before boarding
domestic flights, according to a new Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) report.

The IG report said it identified "numerous instances" where
ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) "could not
provide evidence that single adults, family units, and
[unaccompanied children] were tested for COVID-19 before
transport on domestic commercial flights," the report says.

BIDEN ADMIN RESUMES MIGRANT FLIGHTS TO SUBURBAN NEW YORK: REPORT

ICE uses flights to transport migrants from Customs and Border
Protection (CBP) custody to other facilities (or to Health and
Human Services care for unaccompanied children) across the
country, and can include ground transit, charter flights or
domestic flights. For single adults, ERO detains them at 127
detention facilities across the country before they are either
removed or released into the U.S.

"A migrant’s journey, which by definition includes crossing an
international border from a foreign country, may include several
transfers between multiple Federal entities and facilities
within the United States," the report said. "Migrants traveling
on domestic commercial flights while in DHS custody may be in
close proximity to other migrants and to the general public."

Despite being subject to a number of requirements for testing,
the IG found that ERO did not ensure all migrants were tested
before being transported on domestic commercial flights.

"This occurred because ERO’s policies are unclear and ERO does
not have controls in place to enforce them. Additionally, some
of these policies do not apply to [unaccompanied children], who
are not detained in ICE facilities," the report said.

The audit faulted ERO for having incomplete records for migrant
transports, specifically for unaccompanied children. The report
found that, in the case of unaccompanied children, ERO officials
deferred responsibility to Health and Human Services, and also
did not record which children HHS had tested -- instead using
word of mouth to determine which migrants were positive.

For single adults, in a sample of 24 migrants who boarded a
domestic flight, the IG found that ERO could not provide
evidence that 11 migrants had received a test within three days
of transport. For UACs, the report said that in one day in
September, ERO moved 45 children on domestic commercial flights
to HHS facilities without verifying whether they were tested for
COVID-19.

FLORIDA ICE OFFICES SEE MASSIVE LINES, PROCESSING DELAYS AS
HUNDREDS OF MIGRANTS WAIT FOR CHECK-IN

"These practices risk exposing other migrants, ERO staff, and
the general public to COVID-19. It is imperative that ERO
establish and enforce policies and procedures to mitigate public
health concerns regarding COVID-19 or other future pandemics,"
the report said.

The IG issued a number of recommendations, including more
detailed coordination between DHS agencies and more detailed and
clarified testing policies, as well as controls to ensure staff
and contractors follow existing testing requirements. It also
recommends that agencies maintain "complete and accurate"
migrant COVID-19 testing and transport records.

In a response to the OIG, ICE said it agrees "with the intent of
OIG’s findings and considers a number of proposed actions
regarding the testing of noncitizen family units or
unaccompanied children already addressed."

"ICE is committed to ensuring noncitizens in its custody reside
in safe, secure and humane environments, and under appropriate
conditions of confinements," acting Chief of Staff Jason Houser
said in a written response. "As such, ICE has implemented,
executed, and ensures healthcare protocols and testing
procedures for COVID-19 in alignment with the CDC’s Guidance on
Management of COVID-19 in Correctional and Detention Facilities."

The report comes as the Biden administration has been blocked
from ending Title 42 public health order expulsions. The order,
which has been in place since March 2020, is being used to expel
a majority of migrants at the border due to the COVID-19
pandemic.

The CDC had said that it was appropriate to end the order, but a
federal judge sided with a Republican lawsuit and imposed a
preliminary injunction. The lawsuit said that ending the order
would exacerbate the massive crisis at the border and increase
costs such as healthcare and education for the states signed
onto the lawsuit.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/migrants-covid-19-tests-
domestic-flights-dhs-oig