This summary was featured in Documented’s Early Arrival newsletter. You can subscribe to receive it in your inbox three times per week here.
The private prison corporation GEO Group was hit with a ransomware attack that “impacted a limited amount of personally identifiable information and protected health information for some inmates and residents,” including at the South Bay Correctional and Rehabilitation Facility in Florida, a youth facility in Marienville Pennsylvania, and a now closed facility in California. “The incident also impacted two corporate servers with employee data,” according to a statement on GEO Group’s website. The company says the attack will not impact its business operations or financial results. GEO Group is one of the largest private prison companies in the country, and contracts with ICE to hold immigrants. In recent days, the company’s stock has plunged dramatically while the election count continues. The National Law Review
Public Charge Back On
A federal court ruling made earlier this week let the Trump administration’s so-called ‘public charge’ wealth test rule proceed. The rule allows the federal government determine whether green card applicants are likely to rely on government food or financial aid programs and grant or deny their application based on that. On Tuesday, the Trump administration appealed a ruling striking down the rule. But the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals put a hold on the ruling, allowing the rule to proceed while the appeal is litigated. The Associated Press
DACA Recipients Nervously Watch 2020 Results
Recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, often known as Dreamers, across the country are nervously watching election results that could decide the fate of the program. The Trump administration has repeatedly tried to cancel the program put in place by the Obama administration. The nation’s 700,000 Dreamers received a dose of hope when the Supreme Court rejected Trump’s attempts. But since then, the Trump administration has reduced the program’s duration and will not accept new applications. The program alows people who were previously undocumented to work legally and, in some states, opens them up to tuition assistance. BuzzFeed News
Second COVID-19 Outbreak Unfolding in Otay Mesa
A second COVID-19 outbreak is beginning at the Otay Mesa Detention Center in California. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says 10 detainees have tested positive for the virus as of Tuesday. More than 200 people in the facility have tested positive since the start of the pandemic and one man died. Both ICE detainees and pre-trial federal inmates are held there; There are an additional 34 cases among the federal inmates. The prison is run by CoreCivic, a private prison company. ICE said it is following Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines within the facility. The San Diego Union-Tribune
Uber and Lyft Win Battle to Keep Drivers as Temp. Workers
California’s Proposition 22, which would allow companies like Uber and Lyft to continue treating their drivers as temporary workers and not full-time employees, succeeded overwhelmingly. A state labor law passed under Proposition 22 would’ve forced apps that rely on “gig economy” workers to pay for health care and unemployment insurance. California voters supported Prop 22 with 58 percent of the vote as of early Wednesday. Uber, Lyft and DoorDash supported Prop 22 and poured millions of dollars into getting it passed. State and local officials had pushed back against the companies, contending they were under-regulated. The New York Times
