China's Wuhan Disease Spreads Through ICE Jails, Slows Deportation

China’s Wuhan disease has spread rapidly through U.S. migrant detention centers, sickening many migrants and blocking some deportation flights to Central America.The Associated Press reported the deportation problem on April 17:GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Forty-four Guatemalans deported on one flight from the United States this week have tested positive for COVID-19, a Guatemalan government official with knowledge of the situation said, amid rising rejection of deportees due to virus fears.Later Thursday, Guatemala Foreign Affairs Minister Pedro Brolo told The Associated Press the government had again suspended deportation flights. When one of those tests came back positive others who had been quarantined at the airport were tested and 43 more resulted positive, said the official with knowledge of the situation who had not been authorized to share the information publicly and requested anonymity.Guatemala and other Central American countries have little capacity to cope with the epidemic, which may have escaped from a Chinese government laboratory.U.S. agency officials say they are taking steps to prevent the deportation flights from accelerating the epidemic in the migrants’ home countries:Any [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] ICE detainee who fails to pass screening by a flight medical provider and/or is suspected of having a health-risk condition potentially contagious to other detainees, staff and/or third parties, will be denied boarding and referred to an ICE approved facility for screening.In addition to recently issued IHSC guidance, for ICE Air charter removals, there will be a temperature screening at the flight line, prior to boarding.