A New York Democrat challenged ICE on Wednesday to release older illegal immigrants and others who might be at risk of infection from the coronavirus, saying the agency should be taking steps to avoid being responsible for the spread.
Rep. Grace Meng said older, pregnant or otherwise unhealthy people should be let go.
“It would be a prudent course of action for ICE to take steps now to minimize the number of detainees in your facilities,” she told Matt Albence, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Mr. Albence countered that ICE has extensive experience with detainees and communicable diseases and is well versed in how to handle it.
“At the height of last year’s border surge, he said, up to 6,000 people were quarantined with mumps, measles and other highly contagious diseases,” he said.
Ms. Meng also suggested Mr. Albence cease enforcement “raids” during the 2020 census, saying she fears people will refuse to cooperate with census takers because they may confuse them for ICE deportation officers.
Mr. Albence told her ICE doesn’t do raids, and when it goes out into the community it’s going after a specific target it has already identified as a removable migrant.
And he said it would be unlikely someone would confuse a census taker with an ICE officer, who is during an enforcement operation would be wearing equipment clearly labeled “ICE” and “police.”
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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