Aurora ICE facility sees epidemic of chicken pox

Immigration and customs authorities confirmed Thursday that 10 inmates of an immigration detention center in Aurora had been quarantined for chicken pox, accusing immigration activists of negligence charges medical and violation of the procedure.

ICE and GEO spokespeople, the private contracted company to manage the facilities, challenged the allegations.

Immigration groups argue that quarantine prevents inmates from being able to talk face to face with their lawyers, visit their families, and attend hearings. They also allege that ICE did not follow its medical protocols for dealing with detainees.

"The people in this detention center are simply neglected in general," said Ana Rodriguez, an organizer of the Colorado People's Alliance. "The people there are not getting the medical care they need."

Chickenpox, also known as chickenpox, was diagnosed in three inmates, ICE said in a statement. In addition, seven others were quarantined due to their low immunity, which increased their risk of contracting the virus. The 21-day quarantine will continue until October 29, according to the Geo Group.

Pamela Resendiz, Deputy Director of United for the New Economy, said her organization had heard otherwise on both fronts, alleging that all the detainees had been quarantined, which could push that number much higher .

There are also disputes over whether quarantine is still active. Resendiz provided the Denver Post with an email from an organizer who was going to the detention center, claiming that he had been informed that quarantine had been lifted on October 21st.

"There is a general lack of transparency here," Resendiz said. "A continuous lack of information. There must be a responsibility. "

ICE postponed accusations of mischief on Thursday.

"The Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition's press councils and dishonest press conferences are obvious attempts to misinform the public about serious detention issues for which it is unqualified – especially without first contacting them. my office, said Jeffrey Lynch, director of the ICE external office, in statement.

The Geo Group has also defended its quarantine management.

"We strongly contest the baseless allegations related to the treatment of this quarantine and more generally to the care provided to the Aurora Center, which has a long-standing reputation in providing high quality and culturally appropriate services in a safe, humane and safe environment, "spokesman Pablo Paez said in a statement. "Our team members strive to treat everyone in our care with compbadion, dignity and respect."

At a rally on Thursday afternoon in downtown Denver, former inmates detailed the lack of medical treatment received at the Aurora detention center.

Isidro Quintana spent five months in the detention center. He added that the detainees would plead with the guards for medical care, but that they were mostly ignored.

One day, said Quintana, he saw a man tell a guard that he had heart palpitations.

"The answer of the guard was:" You do not seem to me bad; you look really healthy, "Quintana said.

In another case, Quintana said one man had told the guards that he felt suicidal and that he wanted to kill himself. The man has been ignored. The next day, he said, the symptoms of the man were significantly aggravated.

"They took him to solitary confinement," Quintana said. "We never knew what had happened to him."