HOUSTON (AP) — Two guards at an immigration detention center in Louisiana have died after contracting the coronavirus, raising new questions about whether the U.S. government is adequately protecting 30,000 immigrants in custody and the staff guarding them.
Relatives of both Carl Lenard and Stanton Johnson said the Richwood Correctional Center in Monroe, Louisiana, had at one point prevented them from wearing masks as the virus was spreading through the facility.
Both families believe the men contracted the virus working at Richwood, which has 45 detainees confirmed to have COVID-19.
The private prison company that operates Richwood did not immediately respond to a question for comment about the guards.