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>> Sreenivasan: AS THE COVID-19

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PANDEMIC RAGED IN EARLY 2020,

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U.S. IMMIGRATION COURTS SHUT

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DOWN.

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MANY OF THE 38,000 MIGRANTS HELD

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IN FEDERAL DETENTION CENTERS AT

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THE TIME HAD THEIR COURT DATES

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CANCELED, WITH NO INDICATION OF

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HOW LONG THEY'D BE WAITING.

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IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS

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ENFORCEMENT-- ICE-- IS

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NOT REQUIRED BY LAW TO DETAIN

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PEOPLE WITH PENDING CASES.

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BUT EVEN WITH THE THREAT OF

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TRANSMISSION OF THE VIRUS,

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MOST REMAINED IN DETENTION.

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BY THE END OF MAY, 2020, ICE HAD

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ONLY TESTED ABOUT 10% OF ALL

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DETAINEES.

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BUT MORE THAN HALF THOSE TESTED

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POSITIVE FOR THE CORONAVIRUS.

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NOW, A NEW DOCUMENTARY CALLED

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"THE FACILITY," WHICH IS SHORT-

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LISTED FOR AN ACADEMY AWARD,

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SHOWS THE CONDITIONS INSIDE

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ONE DETENTION CENTER DURING THE

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PANDEMIC.

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NEWSHOUR WEEKEND'S IVETTE

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FELICIANO HAS MORE.

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>> Reporter: IN 2020,

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INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST

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SETH FREED WESSLER USED A

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PAY-PER-MINUTE VIDEO-CALL APP

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TO MAKE CONTACT WITH DOZENS OF

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IMMIGRANTS DETAINED INSIDE THE

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IRWIN COUNTY PRIVATE DETENTION

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CENTER IN OCILLA, GEORGIA.

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THEY WERE WAITING FOR COURT

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DATES TO LEARN WHETHER OR NOT

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THEY COULD STAY IN THE COUNTRY,

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AND THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAD

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BEGUN.

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>> I BEGAN HAVING THESE

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CONVERSATIONS, INTENDING TO

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WRITE PRINT STORIES.

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I WROTE A SERIES OF STORIES,

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INCLUDING FOR THE "NEW YORK

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TIMES MAGAZINE," ABOUT WHAT WAS

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HAPPENING IN IRWIN COUNTY

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DETENTION CENTER, AND IN ICE

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DETENTION IN GENERAL, DURING THE

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EARLY MONTHS OF THE PANDEMIC.

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IT STRUCK ME THAT THERE WAS THIS

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VISUAL WORLD THAT WAS EMERGING,

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THAT I COULDN'T REALLY

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ARTICULATE IN WRITING, I THINK,

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AS EFFECTIVELY AS I REALIZED I

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MIGHT BE ABLE TO THROUGH FILM.

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AND SO, I BEGAN TO RECORD ALL OF

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THESE CALLS-- WITH THEIR

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PERMISSION, OF COURSE-- ON MY

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DESKTOP.

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>> Reporter: YOU'VE COVERED

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DETENTION CENTERS PRETTY

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EXTENSIVELY, AND HAVING THIS

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ACCESS, THIS INSIDE VIEW--

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HOW WAS THAT DIFFERENT, IN YOUR

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EXPERIENCE?

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>> YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN REPORTING

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ON ICE AND IMMIGRATION

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ENFORCEMENT FOR YEARS.

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AND I THINK, THE LEVEL OF FEAR

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THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE DETAINED

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INSIDE OF ICE DETENTION CENTERS

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WERE ARTICULATING IS LIKE

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NOTHING I'VE EVER SEEN BEFORE,

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BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE BEING

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PROVIDED NO INFORMATION ABOUT

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WHAT THE VIRUS, WHAT THIS

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PANDEMIC WAS, AND MEANWHILE,

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OFFERED NO PROTECTIONS.

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DETAINED PEOPLE WERE NOT MASKED,

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AND GUARDS WEREN'T MASKING.

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AND SO, I WAS WATCHING A PLACE

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THAT COULD NOT POSSIBLY HAVE

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BEEN SAFE.

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>> Reporter: WESSLER USED HIS

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RECORDINGS TO MAKE A FILM CALLED

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"THE FACILITY," A PRODUCTION OF

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THE DOCUMENTARY WEBSITE "FIELD

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OF VISION," IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

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THE NON-PROFIT NEWSROOM, TYPE

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INVESTIGATIONS.

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THE FILM FOLLOWS THE STORIES OF

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TWO DETAINEES, ANDREA MANRIQUE

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AND NILSON BARAHONA-MARRIAGA,

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WHO WERE INSIDE IRWIN COUNTY

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DURING THE PANDEMIC.

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>> Reporter: MARRIAGA FLEW TO

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THE U.S. FROM HONDURAS IN 1999

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ON A TOURIST VISA, AND NEVER

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LEFT.

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IN NOVEMBER OF 2019, HE WAS

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DETAINED BY ICE AND PLACED

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INSIDE IRWIN COUNTY, WHERE

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HE CLAIMS CONDITIONS WERE

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UNSANITARY, AND GUARDS DEMEANED

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MIGRANTS AND CASUALLY IGNORED

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THEIR MEDICAL CONCERNS.

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HE WAS RELEASED BY ICE IN

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NOVEMBER WITHOUT EXPLANATION,

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HE SAYS, AND IS NOW WAITING FOR

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A RESPONSE TO HIS GREEN CARD

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APPLICATION.

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>> THIS COUNTRY, THE GOVERNMENT

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IS WILLING TO GO AND FIGHT WARS

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OVERSEAS, YOU KNOW, TO DEFEND

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PEOPLE'S RIGHTS.

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BUT HERE, THE UNITED STATES,

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HUMAN RIGHTS HAVE BEEN VIOLATED.

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YOU KNOW?

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THE TRUTH IS THAT WITHOUT THE

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PANDEMIC, THIS IS-- IT WAS A

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HORRIBLE PLACE.

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YOU WASN'T TREATED LIKE-- LIKE A

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HUMAN BEING, YOU KNOW?

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>> Reporter: IRWIN COUNTY HELD A

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DAILY AVERAGE OF 754 MIGRANTS IN

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2020.

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ICE REPORTS A TOTAL OF 146

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PEOPLE THERE TESTED POSITIVE FOR

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COVID-19 SINCE IT BEGAN TESTING

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IN FEBRUARY OF THAT YEAR.

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A COALITION OF IMMIGRANT RIGHTS

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ADVOCATES IN GEORGIA SAY THE

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NUMBER COULD BE MUCH HIGHER DUE

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TO WHAT THEY CALL A LACK OF

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ROUTINE TESTING AND REPORTING AT

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THE FACILITY.

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IN THE DOCUMENTARY, MARRIAGA AND

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MANRIQUE ARE SHOWN PARTICIPATING

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IN A HUNGER STRIKE INSIDE IRWIN

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COUNTY, DEMANDING BETTER

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PROTECTIONS, INCLUDING MASK

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REQUIREMENTS AND A PROMISE TO

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STOP BRINGING IN NEW DETAINEES.

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MANRIQUE, SEEN HERE SPEAKING TO

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HER LAWYER, HELPED MAKE A

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PROTEST VIDEO THAT WENT VIRAL.

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( translated )

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>> Reporter: THE FILM ALLEGES

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RETALIATION FOR THE PROTESTS BY

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THE FACILITY'S STAFF, IN THE

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FORM OF PHYSICAL ABUSE AND

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SOLITARY CONFINEMENT.

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THE SAME DAY MARRIAGA WAS

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RELEASED, MANRIQUE SAYS SHE WAS

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ALSO RELEASED, WITHOUT

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EXPLANATION.

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SHE SPOKE WITH ME VIA ZOOM FROM

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

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>> ( translated ): I CAME TO

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THIS COUNTRY TO ASK FOR REFUGE

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AND TO BE PROTECTED, BUT I FELT

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EVEN MORE THREATENED HERE.

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I SAID, THEY DON'T VALUE MY LIFE

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HERE, EITHER.

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MY LIFE IS WORTH NOTHING HERE,

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AS WELL.

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AND THAT WAS HARD FOR ME TO

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BELIEVE.

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>> Reporter: MANRIQUE IS STILL

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WAITING FOR HER DAY IN

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IMMIGRATION COURT TO ARGUE

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HER ASYLUM CASE, AFTER SPENDING

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26 MONTHS IN DETENTION, 19 OF

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THEM INSIDE IRWIN COUNTY.

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>> ( translated ): SEEING THIS

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DOCUMENTARY WILL OPEN YOUR EYES,

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AND MY INTENTION BY

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PARTICIPATING IN IT AND ALLOWING

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THIS TO COME OUT TO THE WORLD IS

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TO SHOW A REALITY THAT IS

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AFFECTING MANY PEOPLE, THOUSANDS

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OF PEOPLE WHOSE LIVES ARE BEING

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CHANGED FOR GOOD.

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BEFORE, WE WERE PEOPLE IN CRISIS

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WITH PROBLEMS, AND TODAY, WE

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HAVE MANY MORE PROBLEMS AND MORE

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EMOTIONAL SCARS.

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>> Reporter: IN MAY, SECRETARY

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OF HOMELAND SECURITY ALEJANDRO

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MAYORKAS ORDERED ICE TO

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DISCONTINUE THE USE OF IRWIN

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COUNTY DETENTION CENTER, SAYING:

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"D.H.S. FACILITIES AND THE

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TREATMENT OF INDIVIDUALS IN

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THOSE FACILITIES WILL BE HELD TO

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OUR HEALTH AND SAFETY STANDARDS.

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WHERE WE DISCOVER THEY FALL

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SHORT, WE WILL CONTINUE TO TAKE

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ACTION."

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THE ANNOUNCEMENT CAME AFTER A

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00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:38,933
NURSE WHISTLEBLOWER THERE

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ALLEGED MEDICAL ABUSES,

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INCLUDING UNNECESSARY

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GYNECOLOGICAL PROCEDURES ON

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DETAINED IMMIGRANT WOMEN,

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WHICH PROMPTED A FEDERAL

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00:06:47,100 --> 00:06:49,633
INVESTIGATION THAT IS ONGOING.

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JOURNALIST SETH FREED WESSLER

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00:06:51,333 --> 00:06:53,100
HOPES THE DOCUMENTARY WILL SHED

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00:06:53,100 --> 00:06:55,566
NEW LIGHT ON ICE, AND ITS POLICY

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OF DETAINING IMMIGRANTS.

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>> NEARLY NOBODY WHO'S IN ICE

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DETENTION HAS TO BE DETAINED, AS

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00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:03,200
A MATTER OF LAW.

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00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:04,900
AND SO, DURING THE PANDEMIC,

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ONE OF THE THINGS PEOPLE WHO

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WERE HELD INSIDE WERE SAYING IS,

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LET US PROCEED WITH OUR

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IMMIGRATION CASES FROM THE

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00:07:11,266 --> 00:07:12,933
SAFETY OF OUR HOMES.

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AND ICE COULD HAVE MADE THE

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00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:16,100
DECISION TO DO THAT, AND

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CHOSE NOT TO, FOR THE MOST PART,

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DURING THE PANDEMIC.

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AND I THINK PART OF WHAT I HOPE

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THIS FILM DOES IS TO RAISE THE

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QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER IT MAKES

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SENSE FOR ICE DETENTION TO BE

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SUCH A CENTRAL COMPONENT OF THE

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WAY THAT IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT

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PROCEEDS IN THE UNITED STATES.