April 9, 2020

(“Immigrants face coronavirus in ‘death trap’ detention centers. California must act,” sacbee.com, March 27, 2020)

To The Editor:

It is unfortunate to see two immigration attorneys falsely accuse our member companies of “playing Russian roulette with people’s lives.” First, our companies obviously play no role in setting federal policy on whether to release incarcerated and detained individuals — now during a global pandemic or ever — nor do we control federal immigration law.

Second, these advocates get it exactly backward: It’s our thousands of California employees — doctors, nurses, counselors, chaplains, corrections officers, and more — who today are working on the front lines of this COVID-19 pandemic, risking their own lives to keep the men and women in their care safe and healthy. They’re heroes, and they deserve respect.

We understand there are strong opinions held on these issues, for which people are entitled to advocate. But facts matter. And maligning the reputation of our employees working on the front lines of this national emergency alongside their public counterparts is reprehensible.

Alexandra Wilkes
Day 1 Alliance