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Otay Mesa vigil highlights deaths of migrants in detention

This action was part of a grassroots movement to try to shut down private facilities contracted by the U.S. government to detain people for immigration purposes.

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — On Friday night, human rights advocates at a Dia de los Muertos celebration outside the Otay Mesa Detention Center called on the federal government to change how migrants are detained. They aim to prevent deaths in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"Building an altar is a way to remember the lives of people who have passed on," said Pedro Rios, executive director of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)

This particular celebration of Muertos, or Day of the Dead, held for the past four years outside the Otay Mesa Detention Center, takes on special significance, by lighting a candle for each of the detainees who've died in this ICE detention facility.

"In this case, we want to say that they will not be forgotten," Rios said. "The nine people who have died here will not be forgotten. They did not die in vain, and we will continue to seek justice in their cases."

Friday's action was part of a statewide effort to shut down private facilities contracted by the U.S. government to detain people for immigration purposes.  

"From our perspective, this facility should be closed," said Adriana Jasso, Program Coordinator of AFSC's US-Mexico Border Program.

Jasso said medical neglect. as well as abuse and trauma, contributed to some of these in-detention deaths. 

"Medical care and psychological care should be a human right," she added, "and a corporation that  makes so much money every year should be able to provide that." 

That corporation, CoreCivic, began providing medical services here in September 2020.

In a statement, CoreCivic said  "We provide a safe, humane, and appropriate environment for those entrusted to us at this facility and are constantly striving to deliver an even better standard of care."

They also emphasized they are closely monitored and audited by ICE, adding that "patients with chronic health conditions are treated and regularly monitored by facility medical staff. all detainees have daily access to sign up for medical care. our clinic is staffed with licensed, credentialed doctors, nurses and mental health professionals who contractually meet the highest standards of care."

CBS 8 also reached out to ICE for comment. A spokesperson said they would get back to us next week. 

Here is the full statement provided by CoreCivic:

At our Otay Mesa Detention Center (OMDC), our dedicated professionals work to provide immigration detainees a variety of services from comprehensive medical and mental health care to faith-based support and access to legal resources while they prepare for the next steps in their immigration process. We provide a safe, humane, and appropriate environment for those entrusted to us at this facility and are constantly striving to deliver an even better standard of care.

We take seriously our obligation to adhere to federal Performance Based National Detention Standards (PBNDS) in our ICE-contracted facilities, including OMDC. All our immigration facilities are monitored very closely by our government partners at ICE, and they are required to undergo regular review and audit processes to ensure an appropriate standard of living and care for all detainees.

Our government partners hold our facilities, including OMDC, accountable to the highest standards with on-site, full-time staff to monitor our compliance. Patients with chronic health conditions are treated and regularly monitored by facility medical staff. All detainees have daily access to sign up for medical care. Our clinic is staffed with licensed, credentialed doctors, nurses and mental health professionals who contractually meet the highest standards of care.

Our ICE-contracted facilities are contractually required and held accountable to federal Performance-Based National Detention Standards (PBNDS), which include guidelines for the safe and appropriate accommodation of all detainees. To ensure compliance and accountability, ICE maintains full-time, onsite staff who monitor conditions and contractual performance. These officials always have unfettered access to detainees, CoreCivic staff, and all areas of our facilities.

For more than 40 years, CoreCivic has played a valued but limited role in America's immigration system. We know this is a highly charged, emotional issue for many people, but the fact is our sole job is to help the government solve problems in ways it could not do alone – to help manage unprecedented humanitarian crises, dramatically improve the standard of care for vulnerable people, and meet other critical needs efficiently and innovatively.

We have approximately 450 staff at OMDC who part of the San Diego area community. We are extremely grateful and proud of the important service they provide while caring for those in our care.

It's important to note that CoreCivic does not enforce immigration laws, arrest anyone who may be in violation of immigration laws, or have any say whatsoever in an individual's deportation, release, or transfer between facilities. Those decisions are solely made by our government partners at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 

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