More than 100 immigration advocacy groups from around the country have asked the Department of Homeland Security to close a private Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Farmville, Virginia.

In a letter addressed to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the group referenced an alleged history of mismanagement and medical neglect at the Farmville Detention Center – including a severe outbreak of COVID-19 that resulted in at least 339 positive cases and one death in 2020.

“The signatures on this letter show that our communities are united to demand an end to human rights abuses in Farmville,” said Flor Lopez Trejo, community organizer with the Legal Aid Justice Center, in a statement. “The Farmville Detention Center must not be allowed to abuse one more immigrant, break up one more family, or claim one more life. Everyone detained in Farmville must be released.”

In recent months, Farmville has seen its population dramatically decrease due to releases, deportations, and a judicial order to halt transfers into the facility. As of now, there are now only 12 individuals being housed at the site, which can hold over 700 people. The coalition has asked DHS to allow that remaining dozen to submit a request for release under supervision, arguing closure would not result in any major disruptions across the region.

“Secretary Mayorkas has testified to Congress that he is ‘concerned about the overuse of detention, where alternatives to detention would suffice,’” Monica Sarmiento, executive director of the Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights, said in a statement. “Our coalition sees the closure of the Farmville Detention Center as a necessary step for President Biden to make a meaningful break from the immigration policies of his predecessor.”

In a statement to DCist/WAMU, a spokesperson for DHS said ICE would continue working with the DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, among others, to investigate the health and safety standards of its detention facilities. “Secretary Mayorkas continues to evaluate DHS detention policies and will be issuing additional immigration-related policy memos, including memos addressing immigration detention.”