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Immigrants who are forced to wear electronic ankle monitors suffer emotional, mental and physical tolls that cause them to have difficulty sleeping, mental health problems, problems at work and suicidal thoughts, according to a new report. The Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Freedom For Immigrants and the Immigrant Defense Project conducted interviews with immigrants under surveillance. Of those interviewed, 12 percent said they considered suicide and 88 percent said they had issues with mental health, sleeping, migraines and depression. As politicians call to end immigration detention, the Biden administration is looking to boost funding and participation in Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Intensive Supervision Assistance Program. The Guardian
In other national immigration news…
Biden Changes Make it Easier for Violence Victims to Win Asylum
From the time she was five years old, Areli endured rape by her father and other men, leading her to leave Guatemala for refuge in the U.S. Yet immigration rulings during the Trump administration made it difficult for individuals like Areli to seek asylum over fears of domestic abuse or gang violence. Areli also had a hard time finding an attorney and feared being deported back to Guatemala. But in June, the Department of Justice under President Biden reversed rulings that made it hard for those fleeing from danger to seek asylum. This drastically improved the chances of gaining asylum for Areli and tens of thousands of people in similar situations. Los Angeles Times
Report: Deaths in ICE Custody Associated With Delayed Care
A recent analysis of deaths at migrant detention facilities revealed major violations of internal medical care standards. University of Southern California researchers investigated 55 deaths of detainees in ICE custody, which occurred between 2011 and 2018, and discovered most of them received improper care and/or insufficient or no response to abnormal vital signs. ICE violated its internal medical care standards in 78 percent of the cases, the report found. In one case, a man with flu-like symptoms became incredibly ill and was given supplemental oxygen only intermittently. His oxygen levels weren’t recorded or monitored. Border Report
El Paso ICE Detainees Refuse COVID-19 Vaccine
Amid work to vaccinate all ICE detainees, a large group of El Paso ICE detainees refused the COVID-19 vaccine, according to local officials and advocates. El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego said only 33 percent of detainees accepted the vaccine that was offered at local ICE detention facilities. Immigrant rights advocates say migrants are avoiding getting the vaccine because they’ve faced medical neglect, and also blame language barriers and a lack of systematic nationwide protocol to vaccinate ICE detainees. “In the facilities they feel a little uncomfortable and they’re not trusting… because they’re captured, they’re captive at that point,” Samaniego said. El Paso Matters
Mobile Vaccine Units Travel to Minnesotans
James Yang, who was born in Laos, is a bus driver for Metro Transit in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. He also drives a COVID-19 vaccine bus along the Twin Cities’ bus routes, helping to bring vaccinations to people who may not otherwise seek them out or be able to access them. Those underserved populations include people of color and immigrants, who can face transportation challenges and demanding work schedules that keep them from getting vaccinated. Vaccination rates among people of color have been increasing since the buses began rolling and other outreach efforts began. Sahan Journal
