Rep. Grijalva Responds to Measles Outbreak at Florence; Calls for Delay in Deportation Proceedings of Infected Individuals

This includes a man named Vlad, who faces the prospect of being drafted into the war in Ukraine if deported 

Tucson, AZ – Rep. Grijalva released the following statement responding to the measles outbreak at the Florence Detention Center. One of the infected individuals is a person who Rep. Grijalva’s constituent services team has been assisting and who faces imminent deportation in the coming weeks according to his wife.  

“This latest measles outbreak is the predictable outcome of Trump's mass deportation agenda, which has fueled dangerous overcrowding at detention facilities and created the conditions for preventable diseases to spread. This outbreak has infected people like Vlad, who faces the prospect of being drafted into the war in Ukraine if he is deported to his home country of Russia. ICE must delay his deportation proceedings – and those of all other impacted individuals – so that they are able to pursue all legal avenues, which will inevitably be delayed by this outbreak.” 

“For ICE to say this is the “best healthcare” these individuals have ever received while simultaneously presiding over a measles outbreak at one of its own facilities demonstrates how willfully blind or blatantly indifferent the agency is to the inhumane conditions right under its nose. ICE must also communicate closely with the appropriate state and federal authorities to ensure this outbreak doesn’t spread to other facilities or the broader community.” 

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