How ICE's deployment to D.C. protests led to a massive coronavirus outbreak at an immigration jail


The largest coronavirus outbreak at an immigration jail may have been completely avoidable.
More than 300 inmates at Farmville, Virginia's immigration detention center contracted COVID-19 and one died of the virus after detainees from other states were transferred to the jail. And it all seemingly started because Immigration and Customs Enforcement wanted to send its agents to Washington, D.C., The Washington Post reports.
In early June, protests against police brutality and systemic racism were in full force across the U.S. That included in Washington, D.C., where, on June 1, the Trump administration ordered police and secret service agents to clear out protesters so the president could take a photo at a church. The next day, the administration moved to bring even more federal agents, this time from ICE, to D.C. to police protests, the Post reports.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But because ICE employees can't travel on charter flights without detainees also onboard, the administration had to find a workaround. ICE, claiming it wanted to stem overcrowding at Arizona and Florida immigration jails, loaded detainees onto a plane along with agents it wanted to transfer and flew them to Farmville, a Department of Homeland Security official told the Post. The Virginia facility is the closest large immigration jail to Washington, D.C.
Within days, "dozens of the new arrivals tested positive for the novel coronavirus," the Post writes, fueling an outbreak that encompassed the whole jail. Read more at The Washington Post.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Should you add your child to your credit card?
The Explainer You can make them an authorized user on your account in order to help them build credit
-
Cracker Barrel crackup: How the culture wars are upending corporate branding
In the Spotlight Is it 'woke' to leave nostalgia behind?
-
'It's hard to discern what it actually means'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump halts Gaza visas as Israelis protest war
Speed Read Laura Loomer voiced her concerns over injured Palestinian kids being brought to the US for treatment and a potential 'Islamic invasion'
-
Russia tries Ukraine land grab before Trump summit
Speed Read The incursion may be part of Putin's efforts to boost his bargaining position
-
US, China extend trade war truce for 90 days
Speed Read The triple-digit tariff threat is postponed for another three months
-
Europe counters Putin ahead of Trump summit
Speed Read President Trump will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska this week for Ukraine peace talks
-
Israeli security cabinet OKs Gaza City takeover
Speed Read Netanyahu approved a proposal for Israeli Defense Forces to take over the largest population center in the Gaza Strip
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctions
The Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
Thailand, Cambodia agree to ceasefire in border fight
Speed Read At least 38 people were killed and more than 300,000 displaced in the recent violence
-
Israel 'pauses' Gaza military activity as aid outcry grows
Speed Read The World Health Organization said malnutrition has reached 'alarming levels' in Gaza