>> Sreenivasan: AS THE COVID-19
PANDEMIC RAGED IN EARLY 2020,
U.S. IMMIGRATION COURTS SHUT
DOWN.
MANY OF THE 38,000 MIGRANTS HELD
IN FEDERAL DETENTION CENTERS AT
THE TIME HAD THEIR COURT DATES
CANCELED, WITH NO INDICATION OF
HOW LONG THEY'D BE WAITING.
IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS
ENFORCEMENT-- ICE-- IS
NOT REQUIRED BY LAW TO DETAIN
PEOPLE WITH PENDING CASES.
BUT EVEN WITH THE THREAT OF
TRANSMISSION OF THE VIRUS,
MOST REMAINED IN DETENTION.
BY THE END OF MAY, 2020, ICE HAD
ONLY TESTED ABOUT 10% OF ALL
DETAINEES.
BUT MORE THAN HALF THOSE TESTED
POSITIVE FOR THE CORONAVIRUS.
NOW, A NEW DOCUMENTARY CALLED
"THE FACILITY," WHICH IS SHORT-
LISTED FOR AN ACADEMY AWARD,
SHOWS THE CONDITIONS INSIDE
ONE DETENTION CENTER DURING THE
PANDEMIC.
NEWSHOUR WEEKEND'S IVETTE
FELICIANO HAS MORE.
>> Reporter: IN 2020,
INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST
SETH FREED WESSLER USED A
PAY-PER-MINUTE VIDEO-CALL APP
TO MAKE CONTACT WITH DOZENS OF
IMMIGRANTS DETAINED INSIDE THE
IRWIN COUNTY PRIVATE DETENTION
CENTER IN OCILLA, GEORGIA.
THEY WERE WAITING FOR COURT
DATES TO LEARN WHETHER OR NOT
THEY COULD STAY IN THE COUNTRY,
AND THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAD
BEGUN.
>> I BEGAN HAVING THESE
CONVERSATIONS, INTENDING TO
WRITE PRINT STORIES.
I WROTE A SERIES OF STORIES,
INCLUDING FOR THE "NEW YORK
TIMES MAGAZINE," ABOUT WHAT WAS
HAPPENING IN IRWIN COUNTY
DETENTION CENTER, AND IN ICE
DETENTION IN GENERAL, DURING THE
EARLY MONTHS OF THE PANDEMIC.
IT STRUCK ME THAT THERE WAS THIS
VISUAL WORLD THAT WAS EMERGING,
THAT I COULDN'T REALLY
ARTICULATE IN WRITING, I THINK,
AS EFFECTIVELY AS I REALIZED I
MIGHT BE ABLE TO THROUGH FILM.
AND SO, I BEGAN TO RECORD ALL OF
THESE CALLS-- WITH THEIR
PERMISSION, OF COURSE-- ON MY
DESKTOP.
>> Reporter: YOU'VE COVERED
DETENTION CENTERS PRETTY
EXTENSIVELY, AND HAVING THIS
ACCESS, THIS INSIDE VIEW--
HOW WAS THAT DIFFERENT, IN YOUR
EXPERIENCE?
>> YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN REPORTING
ON ICE AND IMMIGRATION
ENFORCEMENT FOR YEARS.
AND I THINK, THE LEVEL OF FEAR
THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE DETAINED
INSIDE OF ICE DETENTION CENTERS
WERE ARTICULATING IS LIKE
NOTHING I'VE EVER SEEN BEFORE,
BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE BEING
PROVIDED NO INFORMATION ABOUT
WHAT THE VIRUS, WHAT THIS
PANDEMIC WAS, AND MEANWHILE,
OFFERED NO PROTECTIONS.
DETAINED PEOPLE WERE NOT MASKED,
AND GUARDS WEREN'T MASKING.
AND SO, I WAS WATCHING A PLACE
THAT COULD NOT POSSIBLY HAVE
BEEN SAFE.
>> Reporter: WESSLER USED HIS
RECORDINGS TO MAKE A FILM CALLED
"THE FACILITY," A PRODUCTION OF
THE DOCUMENTARY WEBSITE "FIELD
OF VISION," IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
THE NON-PROFIT NEWSROOM, TYPE
INVESTIGATIONS.
THE FILM FOLLOWS THE STORIES OF
TWO DETAINEES, ANDREA MANRIQUE
AND NILSON BARAHONA-MARRIAGA,
WHO WERE INSIDE IRWIN COUNTY
DURING THE PANDEMIC.
>> Reporter: MARRIAGA FLEW TO
THE U.S. FROM HONDURAS IN 1999
ON A TOURIST VISA, AND NEVER
LEFT.
IN NOVEMBER OF 2019, HE WAS
DETAINED BY ICE AND PLACED
INSIDE IRWIN COUNTY, WHERE
HE CLAIMS CONDITIONS WERE
UNSANITARY, AND GUARDS DEMEANED
MIGRANTS AND CASUALLY IGNORED
THEIR MEDICAL CONCERNS.
HE WAS RELEASED BY ICE IN
NOVEMBER WITHOUT EXPLANATION,
HE SAYS, AND IS NOW WAITING FOR
A RESPONSE TO HIS GREEN CARD
APPLICATION.
>> THIS COUNTRY, THE GOVERNMENT
IS WILLING TO GO AND FIGHT WARS
OVERSEAS, YOU KNOW, TO DEFEND
PEOPLE'S RIGHTS.
BUT HERE, THE UNITED STATES,
HUMAN RIGHTS HAVE BEEN VIOLATED.
YOU KNOW?
THE TRUTH IS THAT WITHOUT THE
PANDEMIC, THIS IS-- IT WAS A
HORRIBLE PLACE.
YOU WASN'T TREATED LIKE-- LIKE A
HUMAN BEING, YOU KNOW?
>> Reporter: IRWIN COUNTY HELD A
DAILY AVERAGE OF 754 MIGRANTS IN
2020.
ICE REPORTS A TOTAL OF 146
PEOPLE THERE TESTED POSITIVE FOR
COVID-19 SINCE IT BEGAN TESTING
IN FEBRUARY OF THAT YEAR.
A COALITION OF IMMIGRANT RIGHTS
ADVOCATES IN GEORGIA SAY THE
NUMBER COULD BE MUCH HIGHER DUE
TO WHAT THEY CALL A LACK OF
ROUTINE TESTING AND REPORTING AT
THE FACILITY.
IN THE DOCUMENTARY, MARRIAGA AND
MANRIQUE ARE SHOWN PARTICIPATING
IN A HUNGER STRIKE INSIDE IRWIN
COUNTY, DEMANDING BETTER
PROTECTIONS, INCLUDING MASK
REQUIREMENTS AND A PROMISE TO
STOP BRINGING IN NEW DETAINEES.
MANRIQUE, SEEN HERE SPEAKING TO
HER LAWYER, HELPED MAKE A
PROTEST VIDEO THAT WENT VIRAL.
(translated )
>> Reporter: THE FILM ALLEGES
RETALIATION FOR THE PROTESTS BY
THE FACILITY'S STAFF, IN THE
FORM OF PHYSICAL ABUSE AND
SOLITARY CONFINEMENT.
THE SAME DAY MARRIAGA WAS
RELEASED, MANRIQUE SAYS SHE WAS
ALSO RELEASED, WITHOUT
EXPLANATION.
SHE SPOKE WITH ME VIA ZOOM FROM
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.
>> (translated ): I CAME TO
THIS COUNTRY TO ASK FOR REFUGE
AND TO BE PROTECTED, BUT I FELT
EVEN MORE THREATENED HERE.
I SAID, THEY DON'T VALUE MY LIFE
HERE, EITHER.
MY LIFE IS WORTH NOTHING HERE,
AS WELL.
AND THAT WAS HARD FOR ME TO
BELIEVE.
>> Reporter: MANRIQUE IS STILL
WAITING FOR HER DAY IN
IMMIGRATION COURT TO ARGUE
HER ASYLUM CASE, AFTER SPENDING
26 MONTHS IN DETENTION, 19 OF
THEM INSIDE IRWIN COUNTY.
>> (translated ): SEEING THIS
DOCUMENTARY WILL OPEN YOUR EYES,
AND MY INTENTION BY
PARTICIPATING IN IT AND ALLOWING
THIS TO COME OUT TO THE WORLD IS
TO SHOW A REALITY THAT IS
AFFECTING MANY PEOPLE, THOUSANDS
OF PEOPLE WHOSE LIVES ARE BEING
CHANGED FOR GOOD.
BEFORE, WE WERE PEOPLE IN CRISIS
WITH PROBLEMS, AND TODAY, WE
HAVE MANY MORE PROBLEMS AND MORE
EMOTIONAL SCARS.
>> Reporter: IN MAY, SECRETARY
OF HOMELAND SECURITY ALEJANDRO
MAYORKAS ORDERED ICE TO
DISCONTINUE THE USE OF IRWIN
COUNTY DETENTION CENTER, SAYING:
"D.H.S. FACILITIES AND THE
TREATMENT OF INDIVIDUALS IN
THOSE FACILITIES WILL BE HELD TO
OUR HEALTH AND SAFETY STANDARDS.
WHERE WE DISCOVER THEY FALL
SHORT, WE WILL CONTINUE TO TAKE
ACTION."
THE ANNOUNCEMENT CAME AFTER A
NURSE WHISTLEBLOWER THERE
ALLEGED MEDICAL ABUSES,
INCLUDING UNNECESSARY
GYNECOLOGICAL PROCEDURES ON
DETAINED IMMIGRANT WOMEN,
WHICH PROMPTED A FEDERAL
INVESTIGATION THAT IS ONGOING.
JOURNALIST SETH FREED WESSLER
HOPES THE DOCUMENTARY WILL SHED
NEW LIGHT ON ICE, AND ITS POLICY
OF DETAINING IMMIGRANTS.
>> NEARLY NOBODY WHO'S IN ICE
DETENTIONHAS TO BE DETAINED, AS
A MATTER OF LAW.
AND SO, DURING THE PANDEMIC,
ONE OF THE THINGS PEOPLE WHO
WERE HELD INSIDE WERE SAYING IS,
LET US PROCEED WITH OUR
IMMIGRATION CASES FROM THE
SAFETY OF OUR HOMES.
AND ICE COULD HAVE MADE THE
DECISION TO DO THAT, AND
CHOSE NOT TO, FOR THE MOST PART,
DURING THE PANDEMIC.
AND I THINK PART OF WHAT I HOPE
THIS FILM DOES IS TO RAISE THE
QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER IT MAKES
SENSE FOR ICE DETENTION TO BE
SUCH A CENTRAL COMPONENT OF THE
WAY THAT IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT
PROCEEDS IN THE UNITED STATES.