THURSDAY: New Research Outlines Health Impacts of HDQ Neutral in Immigrant Detention Facilities
Media Contact: Rebekah Entralgo, rentralgo@freedomforimmigrants.org
SAN BERNADINO, Calif. — On Thursday, August 13, the Shut Down Adelanto Coalition will hold a digital press conference to release new details in the case of José Tapete, whose deportation was stopped by community advocacy this week but who still remains at Adelanto, where guards are using HDQ Neutral, a cleaning chemical, to retaliate against him and others who speak out on conditions there.
The coalition will release a fact sheet, compiled by the environmental organization Earthjustice, detailing the health damage of use of HDQ chemicals in confined spaces.
Immigrant detention continues at the private, GEO-run Adelanto ICE Processing Center under horrific conditions. People in detention suffer retaliation through overuse of cleaning chemicals that damage their health. The ongoing misuse of the chemical HDQ Neutral, a potent and potentially hazardous disinfectant, continues to cause concern.
According to the manufacturer, the chemical is only supposed to be used outdoors or in well-ventilated areas. However, testimonies from people detained there reveal that the chemical is sprayed every 20-30 minutes near them or directly at them. Those detained have filed dozens of complaints, but ICE and GEO continue to deny the harm and undermine any attempt to expose their danger. From intimidation to direct retaliation, immigrants continue to face increasing threats to their lives and to their health.
WHO: Scientific, legal, & policy experts outline key issues. Voices from inside Adelanto facility will describe the abuse.
WHAT: Digital press conference
WHERE: Login provided with RSVP. Please RSVP here.
WHEN: Thursday, August 13, 2020, 8:30am PDT
This event is being co-hosted by the Shut Down Adelanto Coalition which consists of Inland Empire Coalition for Immigrant Justice, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, Clergy & Laity United for Economic Justice, Freedom for Immigrants, and Earthjustice. There will be a brief Q & A portion after the presentation. Speakers are also available for media interviews. Please contact Erin Fitzgerald or Spanish-language media strategist Robert Valencia if you would like to arrange an opportunity to speak with them.
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