The detainees’ names were not included in the complaint due to concerns about potential retaliation.
Advocacy organizations have filed complaints against Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities in Florida and California claiming that migrants being held there are suffering severe side effects from disinfectant sprays being used to combat the coronavirus.
According to the complaint about Adelanto, which is one of the country’s largest ICE detention centers, staff there are spraying HDQ Neutral “every 15-30 minutes” on surfaces throughout the housing unit, which lacks ventilation. The complaint said “at least nine” detainees have experienced severe symptoms from the spray since May 11, including blisters, rashes, bleeding, fainting, breathing difficulties, headaches, stomach pain, and nausea.
“Disinfectant formulations used at Adelanto are compliant with detention standards, registered by the Environmental Protection Agency , and used according to manufactures’ instructions for routine cleaning and maintenance of the facility,” Pons said. “Any assertion or claim to the contrary is false.”
According to ICE, the agency has released “over 900 individuals” from custody due to concerns about COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. As of May 23, ICE reported there were 25,911 detainees in custody and 2,670 of them have been tested. In total, the agency said those tests identified 1,392 confirmed cases of COVID among the detainee population.
“Staff are spraying a chemical inside the housing units that is causing serious respiratory distress among people with asthma, bronchitis, and other medical conditions. They are reporting that after the spray is used, people with asthma must use their inhalers more frequently, and that some people are suffering from shortness of breath and/or headaches,” King wrote.
“They are also still spraying chemical with us all in here,” one of the detainees wrote. “We can’t really breath cause its too much.”One of the detainees reported that the disinfectant was being sprayed by other inmates who have been appointed as “trustees” and who were not wearing protective gear. The detainee said the trustees carried the disinfectant in 20-gallon containers with a “hand pump.”
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