Detention Center
(Photo : Reuters Connect)

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained over 23,400 across the country, but they only reported 752 infections which are severely low. 

A new study from the Vera Institue of Justice showed that ICE underreported coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections. This simply means that the agency is not giving the exact numbers. 

According to the agency's current data, only 752 tested positive for COVID-19. This is out of over 23,000 detainees, who are under the custody of the agency.

However, the Vera Institute of Justice firmly believed that the number of infections is 15 times higher. This was based on the result using their own epidemiological model. 

The report noted that 1 out of 5 detainees would be infected for COVID-19. The result was based on the simulated 60-day period since mid-March, according to a published report in NBC News. 

Dennis Kuo, a senior data scientist and the author of the report, said that ICE has not been transparent in making reports. This is why they did their educated guess using their mathematical model.

ICE Transfers Detainees in Large Volume 

"One of the big issues is that ICE is always transferring people in large volume," said Nina Siulc, Director of Research at the Vera Institute. This means that ICE would have made 1,744 transfers if they continued its pattern of transferring people.

Meanwhile, Kuo described the result of its transfer as "alarming." Kuo believed that there is a possibility that one of the detainees during the transfer is carrying the virus. Though, the virus had not peaked yet in the detention centers because ICE is not reporting the real numbers. 

ICE Released Official Statement

ICE has sent an email to the NBC News to answer the allegation of not reporting real numbers of infected detainees. They also explained that the agency is making sure the health and safety of its employees, staff, and detainees.

In the email, the agency said it has taken extensive steps to protect detainees and staff since the pandemic began. They also claimed that they reduced the number of detainees in custody and placing detainees to detention programs.

Additionally, ICE also said that they suspended social visitation, observed strict social distancing, and made sure to stagger the time for meals and recreation. Through this, the place of recreation and the dining area will not be congested. 

Vera Institute Director of Research Maintains its Own Report

Siulc maintained their own result, saying that even though the institute's study shows a rate of infection much higher than ICE has reported, it's clear that the number of infected persons is "likely to be a low estimate."

Siulc noted that the study did not include potential infections spreading between contractors and detainees.

Meanwhile, ICE reported infections among its staff, but did not include employees of private contractors. There have been calls recently to reduce the number of detainees. This was after the death of the second immigrant, while under U.S. custody. 

But instead of reducing, the author of the research claimed that ICE continued to detain thousands of immigrants, even amid the pandemic. This just increase the risk of detainees to get infected. 

How the ICE can slow down the number of infections in the detention centers?

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