A Peruvian illegal immigrant held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at Anchorage Correctional Complex in June appears to have survived a potentially deadly tuberculosis infection thanks to medical intervention — treatment that was provided at taxpayer expense.
The man was in a group of 41 detainees who were temporarily housed in Anchorage as part of a contract that the State of Alaska has to house ICE prisoners to ease overcrowding in ICE facilities.
While the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska and mainstream media outlets were quick to allege unsafe conditions, denial of medical care, and exposure risks at the state-run facility, the latest available information suggest a more complex reality.
The man, who arrived in Anchorage on June 8 as part of a group of roughly 40 ICE detainees transferred from the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Wash., was returned to Tacoma on June 30. He had been tested and, once in Tacoma hospitalized with a confirmed case of tuberculosis, prompting alarm from his attorney, the ACLU, and various immigrant advocacy groups.
But here’s what’s increasingly clear: The man got screening in Anchorage that may have flagged early symptoms. That test prevented him from spreading TB to the community. He and the others were housed in a separate area of the correctional center, and there was no risk of TB spreading to the general prison population.
According to the Alaska Department of Corrections, every detainee was screened by medical staff upon arrival, and one individual (later hospitalized) underwent further testing when he began showing symptoms. His subsequent test came back negative. He did not contract TB during his brief stay in Alaska.
Even so, the ACLU maintained that two individuals tested positive for latent TB, and that the detainees were informed of their exposure after returning to Washington. The medical doctor at DOC had notified ICE in Washington that none of the people had active TB results.
The ACLU made the accusations as though there was some terrible conspiracy, complaining that the man’s attorney was not able to meet with him, which was likely due to the active TB management. TB is a highly infectious disease.
Strangely, that lawyer had already testified to House Judiciary Committee that he had more access to his client while he was in Alaska DOC custody than when the man was in Tacoma.
The ACLU of Alaska argues that there was a denial and it violated constitutional protections. Yet the ACLU of Washington State has not appeared to have taken up the case. In fact, nothing appears on the ACLU Washington website.
What’s not in question is that the man received care thanks to a system that may not be perfect, but functioned better than leftist critics and their media allies have characterized.
Illegal Aliens should not have access to our courts, social programs, banks and any state or local government licensing of any sort, and that is just for starters.
Excellent story. Excellent reporting. Thank You Suzanne Downing.
This is what happens when we let 3rd world people in our country! Why do you think there have been all the measles outbreaks. Most certainly kids entering our schools. Amazing we have to have shots to go to foreign countries and anyone legally coming into America has to have them but let’s let millions come in with no covid or any other test.