Richwood Detainees Serious Health Issues

A lawsuit filed by the state of Louisiana against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) for the town of Richwood should raise concerns among citizens due to the potential for serious health risks. The health concern involves an individual at the Richwood ICE facility who allegedly has a drug-resistant form of tuberculosis, potentially exposing other detainees at the facility. The infected individual is described only as a Asian woman apprehended at the southern border in California in September before being transferred to an ICE facility in Richwood.

In a statement several weeks ago, Gov. Jeff Landry said there was "no indication of public danger," yet the potential for an outbreak remains, as Surgeon General Ralph Abraham noted it can “take weeks” before the all-clear sign is given. In the lawsuit, Attorney General Liz Murrill has asked the Western District Court in Lafayette to prevent ICE from transferring any exposed detainees until they are cleared by the state. A preliminary injunction hearing was scheduled for October 31, 2024, to determine the next steps.

This issue is a public concern, as Murrill stated that the state is "contact tracing" up to 700 individuals with potential exposure to ensure they are cleared. Richwood and Ouachita Parish residents should be equally concerned about how the detained woman was transferred to Richwood, bypassing other ICE facilities. Although it is now November with no confirmed transmissions, the risk remains, especially as we enter flu season. COVID-19 is still present, yet Louisiana appears to show no urgent need (at least in Ouachita Parish) to alert its citizens to the dangers of tuberculosis. Isn’t this how COVID started?