U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are now endangered after being stranded in Djibouti after a federal judge blocked migrant deportations to South Sudan.
The illegal immigrants with criminal records are currently being held in a shipping container repurposed as a conference room and are under the watch of the agents. The development arose after a judge ordered that the migrants remain under U.S. custody, writing, “During that 15-day period, the individual must remain within the custody or control of DHS, and must be afforded access to counsel that is commensurate with the access they would be afforded if they were seeking to move to reopen from within the United States’ borders.”
ICE agents are now facing unsafe conditions, at risk of malaria, breathing difficulties, and terrorist attacks.
A court filing submitted by ICE official Melissa Harper described the severe conditions: “The conference room in which the aliens are housed is not equipped nor suitable for detention of any length, let alone for the detention of high-risk individuals. Notably, the room has none of the security apparatus necessary for the detention of criminal aliens. If an altercation were to occur, there is no other location on site available to separate the aliens, which further compromises the officers’ safety.”
The agents also lack anti-malaria medication.
“ICE personnel had to interrupt the flight and disembark in Djibouti without being on anti-malaria medication for at least 48-72 hours prior to arrival, as recommended by medical professionals. They were not able to start taking antimalarials until after arrival in Djibouti. There continues to be an unknown degree of exposure despite taking the antimalarial as full efficacy of the medication is unknown currently,” Harper wrote. “Antimalarials, as well as certain vaccinations, are among the precautionary recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization (WHO) due to the high risk of exposure for travelers.”
Discussing breathing difficulties, the ICE official explained that Djibouti uses burn pits to remove waste. These pits are located “within five miles outside the base and turned on at night,” creating a “smog cloud.” Several of the ICE agents have experienced throat irritation from the burn pits, using N-95 masks while sleeping.
The filing discussed other health issues faced by the agents, consistent with a bacterial upper respiratory infection. Agents are also facing terror threats.
“Upon arrival in Djibouti, officers were warned by U.S. Department of Defense officials of imminent danger of rocket attacks from terrorist groups in Yemen,” the filing adds. “The ICE officers lack body armor or other gear that would be appropriate in the case of an attack.”
The converted shipping container is part of the U.S. Naval base in Camp Lemonnier.
