A California District Court judge has ruled that detainees at a privately run detention facility in the state must have access to their attorneys lest their health be jeopardized. From Law360:
U.S. District Judge Jesus G. Bernal said detainees at the GEO Group Inc.-operated Adelanto ICE Processing Center have shown that they will be irreparably harmed if they are unable to communicate with their counsel about filing petitions to be released from ICE custody amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, warranting a temporary restraining order.
Not being able to petition for release could jeopardize the health of detainees who are vulnerable to medical complications from the coronavirus, Judge Bernal said.
“The court takes as a given that defendants are operating in exceedingly difficult circumstances and are doing their utmost to prioritize the health of detainees and staff,” he said. “However, greater equities accrue to plaintiffs, for whom health, as well as the ability to remain in the country, avoid persecution, torture, or death, and perhaps remain with their U.S. resident family members, may be at stake.”