Search Documents and Resources

    • Mission and Vision
    • Board & Staff
    • Financials
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Donor Privacy Policy
    • Explore our work
    • Center for Defense Information
    • The Constitution Project
    • Congressional Oversight Initiative
    • Policy Letters
    • Reports
    • Testimony
    • For Oversight Staff
    • Whistleblower Resources
    • Report Corruption
  • Take Action
  • Sign Up
  • Donate
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
    • Mission and Vision
    • Board & Staff
    • Financials
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Donor Privacy Policy
    • Explore our work
    • Center for Defense Information
    • The Constitution Project
    • Congressional Oversight Initiative
    • Policy Letters
    • Reports
    • Testimony
    • For Oversight Staff
    • Whistleblower Resources
    • Report Corruption
Project On Government Oversight
  • Take Action
  • Sign Up
  • Donate
  • Afghanistan
  • More Topics
  • About
  • Mission & History
  • Board & Staff
  • Financials
  • Take Action
  • For Federal Employees
  • COVID-19: Tips
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
Project On Government Oversight
    • Mission and Vision
    • Board & Staff
    • Financials
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Donor Privacy Policy
    • Explore our work
    • Center for Defense Information
    • The Constitution Project
    • Congressional Oversight Initiative
    • Policy Letters
    • Reports
    • Testimony
    • For Oversight Staff
    • Whistleblower Resources
    • Report Corruption
  • Take Action
  • Sign Up
  • Donate
COVID-19 and the Constitution

COVID-19 and Immigration: Protecting Immigrant Rights and Safety

April 30, 2020

In this week’s briefing, experts on immigration and detention examine the unique and acute risks that individuals in immigration detention facilities face amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and steps we should take to mitigate them.

POGO Podcast · COVID-19 and Immigration: Protecting Immigrant Rights and Safety

In this briefing, we examine how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting immigration, and the dangers it is posing for individuals being held in immigration detention facilities across the country. The discussion examines what caused these risks, why they are so severe, and what type of actions the government has taken and should take to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in facilities. 

Some key takeaways include:

  • Many of the problems in detention facilities that are posing serious risks now existed well before the pandemic began. Now those issues are exacerbating the dangers of a virus spreading in a densely populated space.
  • It’s important to remember that immigration detention is part of a civil proceeding, and that it is not meant to be a form of a punishment for criminal behavior—many detained individuals have never committed a crime.
  • We lack significant information about how prevalent COVID-19 is in detention facilities. Testing has been sparse, and it’s important that the government engage in more comprehensive testing so it can account for and respond to outbreaks.
  • Releasing individuals and reducing the number of incoming detainees is the best way to reduce the number of infections and public health risks. We’ve seen some movement in policy to respond to this priority.
  • This pandemic and the virus’s ability to spread rapidly in detention facilities threatens detained individuals and staff alike, and could even become a source of the outbreaks more broadly if appropriate measures are not taken.

People

  • Moderator

    Jake Laperruque

    Jake Laperruque is Senior Policy Counsel with The Constitution Project at POGO.

  • Panelist

    Katherine Hawkins

    Katherine Hawkins is a Senior Legal Analyst at the Project On Government Oversight.

  • Panelist

    Scott Allen

    Dr. Scott Allen is Professor Emeritus at the University of California Riverside School of Medicine.

  • Panelist

    Bruce J. Einhorn

    Judge Bruce J. Einhorn is a professor at Pepperdine University & Executive Director of The Asylum Project.

Show Notes:

  • Watch the video of the briefing

Podcast series navigation

  • Previous Episode

    COVID-19 and the Constitution
    Pretrial Detention and Access to Courts: How to Safeguard Liberty and Justice During COVID-19
  • Next Episode

    COVID-19 and the Constitution
    COVID-19 and the First Amendment: Challenges to Speech and Religious Activity
  • View All Episodes

The Constitution Project

The Constitution Project seeks to safeguard our constitutional rights when the government exercises power in the name of national security and domestic policing, including ensuring our institutions serve as a check on that power.

Related Tags

    Constitutional Principles Immigration COVID-19 Detention Centers Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Related Content

  • Constitutional Principles

    COVID-19 Travel Restrictions: Protecting Public Health without Eroding Civil Liberties

  • Constitutional Principles

    Surveillance in a Pandemic: Preserving Civil Liberties

  • Constitutional Principles

    Pretrial Detention and Access to Courts: How to Safeguard Liberty and Justice During COVID-19

  • Transparency

    POGO to Launch COVID-19 Relief Spending Tracker

Site Footer

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • Press Center
  • Contact Us
  • Careers
  • Briefing
  • Newsletters
  • Publications
  • Report Corruption
Better Business Bureau Accredited Charity CharityWatch Top Rated Charity Great Nonprofits 2021 Top-Rated Charity Navigator Four-Star Charity

©2023 POGO | Privacy Policy

Project On Government Oversight logo

Project On Government Oversight

Oversight in your inbox.