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July 13, 2020

Congressional Hearing Examining ICE Contractors’ Response to COVID-19

(WASHINGTON) – Today, Monday, July 13th, the Subcommittee on Border Security, Facilitation, & Operations, chaired by Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-NY), will hold a virtual hearing examining U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) contractors’ response to COVID-19. This hearing will allow Members to examine the actions undertaken by for of ICE contractors – CoreCivic, the GEO Group, LaSalle Corrections, and the Management & Training Corporation – to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 within their respective immigration detention facilities, among their personnel, and in surrounding communities.

Since March, ICE has reported that thousands of detainees in its custody and dozens of federal employees have tested positive for COVID-19 at over 70 detention facilities. Outbreaks inside detention facilities continue to occur seemingly due to continued transfers of detainees and inability to practice social distancing or proper isolation of affected individuals.  This hearing will also allow members to discuss contractors’ response to ICE’s approach to COVID-19 and plans to modify operations. This hearing will be streamed live on YouTube (link below).

 Congresswoman Rice released the following statement on the hearing:

“Despite the surge in coronavirus cases across the country, and the thousands of cases and multiple deaths at detention facilities, ICE and its contractors have not taken this outbreak seriously,” said Chairwoman Kathleen Rice. “Lives are on the line, and more needs to be done to stop the spread of this virus immediately. Today we will press ICE contractors to take action to protect the health of the detainees and workers at its facilities.”

Event details:

WHAT: House Subcommittee on Border Security, Facilitation, & Operations hearing: Oversight of ICE Detention Facilities: Examining ICE Contractors’ Response to COVID-19.

WHEN: Monday, July 13th at 2pm EDT

WITNESSES:

  • Mr. Damon T. Hininger, President and CEO, CoreCivic
  • Mr. George C. Zoley, Chairman and CEO, The GEO Group
  • Mr. Scott Marquardt, President and CEO, Management & Training Corporation (MTC)
  • Mr. Rodney Cooper, Executive Director, LaSalle Corrections

Updated info and livestream available here. 

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Press Contact

Adam Comis at (202) 225-9978