Hospitals are in desperate need of masks during the coronavirus pandemic, but the Trump administration would rather provide them to ICE agents instead so they can continue persecuting immigrants.
There are now nearly 6,000 cases of COVID-19 in the United States and nearly 100 have died as the virus sweeps the nation. Many more could be infected but the lacking of testing supplies as a result of President Donald Trump’s poor response to the outbreak prevents officials from revealing a more accurate tally.
The crisis dictates that health professionals be given priority when it comes to basic supplies like masks and gloves so that they don’t get sick and can continue safely caring for those who do. But once again, Trump’s response fails on this front as well.
Because rather than providing masks to hospitals for doctors and nurses to use to care for the sick, Trump is giving them to ICE agents instead so they can continue terrorizing immigrants.
The Los Angeles Times reports that ICE agents wearing medical masks took advantage of the lockdown in California to arrest immigrants on the first day.
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These masks would have been more useful at hospitals to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus. But Trump’s racist agenda apparently comes first.
Social media erupted in outrage over the story.
THERE IS AN URGENT MASK SHORTAGE. TRUMP IS WASTING THEM ON RACISM. PEOPLE WILL DIE. https://t.co/jLz97lSgFQ
— Kaivan Shroff (@KaivanShroff) March 17, 2020
This is not helping with containment, it’s helping detainment of the vulnerable immigrants because ICE knows they are home doing their part to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
— natalie (@anataliedz1) March 17, 2020
ICE should just stop working at this point in time.
This is not the time to be doing this sort of thing and forcing people into close quarters.
— 😷 Rocky Mountain Views ☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️ (@RockyMountViews) March 17, 2020
ICE agents need to work from home. Or actually they can be retrained to help deliver groceries to the elderly, immune compromised and growing number of people who have all the symptoms and should not leave their homes. After all they have masks.
— Mosa Pie (@mosapie) March 17, 2020
This is not lifesaving. You are only putting more people at risk with this behavior. Crazy
— dreamsoffire (@dreamsoffire) March 17, 2020
This is what our country is putting its resources towards right now when we are out of supplies at the hospitals? Dispicable. Was the intent “let’s make this crisis even more terrifying and traumatic for everyone”? Cuz if so, good job !
— Elizabeth le Fey (@globelamp) March 17, 2020
We will very soon need to persuade undocumented people to come forward for testing and health checks. They will not do so if they fear deportation. This has to stop *now*.
— Tom Coates (@tomcoates) March 17, 2020
That’s a medical and moral catastrophe. ICE must be stopped.
— S✪lidⒶrity For☭ver ⚙️🌾 (@ComradeStars) March 17, 2020
Resources wasted to brutalize people during a health crisis.
ICE thugs will whine “we were just following orders” a few years from now.
— Giovanni Torre (@GiovanniTorre) March 17, 2020
We have a shortage of masks & this is how Trump wants to use them. https://t.co/Dn1Wr2DGvA
— Lawrence O’Donnell (@Lawrence) March 17, 2020
Trump and ICE are wasting resources that need to be directed toward the fight against the pandemic, not used to persecute immigrants who are here pursuing a better life for themselves and their families.
Featured image via Political Tribune gallery
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