Death of Carlos Ernesto Escobar Mejía
Carlos Ernesto Escobar Mejía was a 57-year-old man from
Detention
In January 2020, Escobar Mejía was detained by ICE during an arrest of someone who he had been in a car with. ICE stated he was subject to pending removal proceedings. He was then taken to the
Despite the rising concerns over the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, Escobar Mejía was denied bond on April 15 by immigration judge Lee O'Connor. He had been living with hypertension, diabetes, and had undergone multiple surgeries, including an operation which had resulted in the loss of his right foot, before being detained. He was reported as "still well" at the time of being denied bond.[5] His former lawyer Joan Del Valle stated, "On April 15, he had the opportunity to have many more years of life. On April 15, when they denied him every possibility to be released in the middle of a pandemic, knowing how frail he was, they sentenced him to die." Escobar Mejía had health conditions that were known, yet was still denied release. Anne Rios, supervising attorney at Al Otro Lodo, a group working to release detainees from the Otay Mesa prison, emphasized "this was 100% avoidable. Immigration detention is civil detention — it is discretionary. ICE could've determined that this person who had underlying conditions could and should've been released. They had the discretion to do so and yet they chose not to."[4]
Death
On April 24, he was taken to the Paradise Valley Hospital in National City after showing symptoms of the virus and tested positive. He was taken to the hospital's intensive care unit and placed on a ventilator three days later.[7] He reportedly died from acute respiratory failure due to pneumonia resulting from COVID-19 on May 6.[6][3] On the day of his death, at least 132 ICE detainees at the Otay Mesa prison had tested positive for coronavirus, the most of any detention center used by the agency. At least 705 immigrants in ICE custody have tested positive for the coronavirus total. More than 48% of the 1,460 people who have been screened for the virus tested positive.[4]
Reactions
Advocacy groups including Pueblo Sin Fronteras and Otay Mesa Detention Resistance decried the conditions leading to Escobar Mejía's death sent a letter to politicians.[8]
Senator Kamala Harris stated that Escobar Mejía's death was "likely preventable and there needs to be an investigation, and accountability for any wrongdoing."[8]
Representative Juan Vargas stated that there was no way ICE was adhering to proper social distancing measures.[8]
Senator Dianne Feinstein called for a federal investigation into the conditions at Otay Mesa.[8]
Jesse Melgar, a press secretary for California Governor Gavin Newsom, commented that a thorough investigation into Escobar Mejía's death should take place. He also stated that it's necessary for public health officials need to protect people in federal custody.[8]
On May 14, 2020, U.S. Representatives Carolyn Maloney and Jamie Raskin wrote a letter addressing ICE and the United States Department of Homeland Security criticizing their actions and requesting a briefing and documents regarding the death.[9][10]
In June 2020, people detained in the
See also
References
- ^ a b c Graziosi, Graig (May 7, 2020). "Coronavirus: First ICE detainee dies from Covid-19". Independent.
- ^ a b Hernàndez, Arelis R (May 6, 2020). "ICE detainee in California is first in U.S. immigration custody to die of coronavirus". Washington Post.
- ^ a b c d Levin, Sam (May 12, 2020). "He lived in the US for 40 years. Then he became the first to die from Covid-19 in immigration jail". The Guardian.
- ^ a b c d Montoya-Galvez, Camilo (May 7, 2020). "Immigrant in ICE custody dies from coronavirus complications in California". CBS News.
- ^ a b Da Silva, Chantal (May 7, 2020). "First ICE Detainee To Die From Coronavirus 'Still Well' When Judge Denied Release, Advocates Say Death Was Preventable". Newsweek.
- ^ a b c Aleaziz, Hamed; Flores, Adolfo (May 6, 2020). "An Immigrant Who Tested Positive For The Coronavirus Has Died In ICE Custody". Buzzfeed News.
- ^ Echavarri, Fernanda (May 6, 2020). "Today Marks the First COVID-19 Death of an ICE Detainee". Mother Jones.
- ^ a b c d e Sanchez, Tatiana (May 15, 2020). "'Cry for help': ICE detainees beg lawmakers to act after coronavirus death". SFChronicle. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
- ^ James, Amanda (May 15, 2020). "House Dems Say ICE Is Failing To Prevent COVID-19 Deaths - Law360". Law360. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- ^ "Letter to ICE and DHS". Law360. May 14, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
- ^ Ortiz, Fernie (June 10, 2020). "ICE now says detainees held hunger strike in honor of George Floyd". Border Report. Retrieved June 12, 2020.