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To: ICE

Tell ICE: Release Rene from NWDC!

TELL ICE: Release Rene now! We demand the release of Rene Ramirez-Alatore, who is medically at risk for COVID-19, so he can shelter in place in the safety of his community during this global pandemic rather than in the deadly hands of ICE and GEO Group.

About Rene:
46 year old Rene Ramirez-Alatore has been detained in the Northwest Detention Center for over a year. He suffers from asthma and hypertension which put him at high risk for complications from COVID-19. Although ICE refuses to acknowledge it, Rene developed hypertension while he was in detention. Rene also suffers from benign prostatic hyperplasia which necessitated the use of a foley catheter (a 5-10 mm tube inserted through the urethra) while in detention. While Rene’s doctor stated that the catheter should be removed after one week, ICE did not allow Rene to see his doctor for removal until 16 days after the catheter was inserted which resulted in large amounts of blood in Rene’s urine. A board certified doctor reviewing Rene’s medical records concluded that the only reason for waiting to remove the catheter sooner was as a cost saving measure by GEO Group.

Throughout this pandemic we have received multiple reports of pods being placed in quarantine and detainees as well as guards testing positive for COVID-19. When Rene’s pod was moved to a place where social distancing was impossible Renee went into voluntary isolation in an attempt to follow COVID-19 guidelines. During his forty plus days and almost two weeks now of isolation Renee’s physical and mental health declined rapidly. He began to experience problems with his memory and reported seeing things that were not there.The Northwest Detention Center is an unsafe facility for everyone detained and Rene’s medical conditions make him one of the most vulnerable people caged in the facility.

Why is this important?

No one should be locked up in a detention center during a global pandemic. We support the call to #FreeThemAll.

As of today, people detained report there are at least 3 people detained, as well as receiving news of 3 more staff that have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the last month, making that’s at least 6 employees with COVID-19 since October. Reports from people in quarantine show that just this December at least 3 pods have been placed in quarantine, in one pod all 14 people were given COVID-19 tests. The NWDC is not a safe place for anyone especially someone who is at high risk of complications from COVID-19. It is impossible to social distance, guards often do not wear masks or gloves and there is no contact tracing for ICE employees coming in and out of the facility. As long as he is detained Rene’s health and safety are at risk. Tell ICE to release Rene so that he can follow COVID-19 guidelines and get the medical care that he needs.

Rene #FreeThemAll post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CDO6rzcJeO2/?igshid=1pr3wh0lqsxi

Partner

Updates

2020-12-09 20:24:10 -0500

25 signatures reached

2020-12-08 15:02:11 -0500

10 signatures reached