Reports Of AC Failure At Bergen County Jail As Heat Wave Hits NJ

HACKENSACK, NJ — The Bergen County Sheriff's Department reports that temperatures inside the Bergen County jail are currently between 70 and 73 degrees. A group of immigration attorneys say that's a lie.

As temperatures touch the mid-90s, the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project and their legal providers continue to call for the release of their clients held at the jail, amid a growing number of reports that the air conditioning units at the facility are failing.

In a July 25 letter to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), NYIFUP cited the high temperatures, lack of air conditioning and a heightened risk of COVID-19 exposure due to poor air circulation as reasons for their demand.

"Such temperatures are dangerous without air conditioning," the group said.

"These conditions would be intolerable under ordinary circumstances. But given that air circulation and ventilation are essential to prevent the spread of COVID-19, which has affected staff and detainees at Bergen County Jail and continues to spread in the surrounding community, these conditions place our clients at imminent risk."

Despite their efforts, the group's clients were not released over the weekend, and the Bergen County Sheriff's Office said staff at the jail have received no formal complaints of "high heat conditions."

Public Information Officer Keisha McLean did add that the jail is currently undergoing scheduled electrical maintenance, which "may require inmates/detainees to relocate from time to time."

Though the Sheriff's Office reports no formal complaints from inmates or immigration detainees, Undersheriff Orestes Alvarez was notified of the Saturday letter.

The group doubled down, this time with the legal representatives, including The Bronx Defenders, The Legal Aid Society and Brooklyn Defender Services releasing a statement on Monday, again demanding the release of their clients.

"ICE and local jail officials have repeatedly shown their inability to handle public health emergencies and are responsible for an ongoing humanitarian crisis," they said.

"As detention conditions continue to threaten the health and safety of detained immigrants, we demand the release of our clients from Bergen County Jail and renew our calls for the immediate release of all people currently in ICE custody and an end to ICE raids.”

In response to the statement from the Sheriff's Office, the Legal Aid Society tweeted:

According to ICE statistics, two detainees have tested positive for the coronavirus at the jail, but are not currently being monitored or under isolation. No detainees have died, according to ICE.

McClean said the jail hasn't had any positive coronavirus cases "in many weeks," and the her office stopped reporting those numbers in mid-June.

In total, two detainees and one county inmate tested positive for the coronavirus, but there are no current cases at the jail.

In a statement, University of North Carolina assistant professor of social medicine Dr. Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein stated that poor ventilation and high temperatures could heighten the risk of contracting COVID-19.

"Exposing people to housing units without proper ventilation amplifies risk of COVID-19 infection in correctional settings. Extreme heat, similarly, can exacerbate existing conditions with sometimes fatal consequences," she said.