ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Immigration and Customs Enforcement reported 18 cases of the coronavirus among detainees at La Palma Correctional Facility in Eloy and 10 cases at the Florence Detention Center, according to statistics released Friday. ICE reported the first case among detainees in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ on April 1.

Across the country, ICE reported 317 cases among immigration detainees at 29 detention centers, up from 124 cases a week earlier. The first case was reported at a detention center in New Jersey on March 24.

An ICE employee at the Florence Detention Center tested positive for COVID-19, one of 35 ICE employees at detention centers nationwide who tested positive.

Another 89 ICE employees, who are not assigned to detention centers, tested positive. ICE did not say where they work.

The concern that the coronavirus could spread quickly among detainees living in confined spaces led to lawsuits by immigrant advocates. Many of those lawsuits are ongoing, including one asking for the release of eight detainees in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥. Federal judges in several states have ordered the release of some medically vulnerable detainees.

In recent weeks, ICE has released about 700 detainees who are elderly or pregnant.

Both ICE and Customs and Border Protection are sending fewer immigrants to detention centers, ICE records show.

The number of ICE detainees dropped from about 37,000 several weeks ago to about 30,700 as of April 18.

ICE facilities in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ hold about 3,000 detainees. An exact number of detainees was not available, according to ICE’s public affairs office.