Chicken pox halts deportation at Artesia facility
A New Mexico congressman says the deportation of immigrants from a detention facility in Artesia have been temporarily stopped because of chicken pox.
Rep. Steve Pearce said Tuesday that the immigrant women and children at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers are being treated and vaccinated.
But Pearce says two people at the facility had to be put in isolation because of the chicken pox virus.
He says he’s worried about the health and safety of the woman and children held at FLETC as the facility reaches maximum capacity.
Pearce also says Eastern New Mexico Regional Medical Center in Roswell now will be used by FLETC for patient care instead of Artesia General Hospital.
Department of Homeland Security officials didn’t immediately return calls Tuesday night about the situation at Artesia.
The on-site ICE Health Service Corps (IHSC) medical staff is available 24/7 to all residents at the facility. IHSC staff address any medical concern brought to their attention.
A government official familiar with detention policies not authorized to speak on the record said the ICE Health Service Corps (IHSC) medical facilities comply with applicable health-care standards from the American Correctional Association (ACA) and the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, as well as the ICE National Detention Standards.
The government official also told ABC-7 that ICE healthcare policy requires that all detainees receive an initial health screening immediately upon arrival at an ICE facility to determine the appropriate medical, mental health, and/or dental treatment that is needed.
Included in this process is either a chest X-ray or skin test for TB. Immediate attention is provided to detainees who present a danger or an imminent risk to themselves or others, such as those with infectious diseases, uncontrolled mental health disorders, or conditions that would deteriorate if the individual is not seen immediately by medical personnel.
