Presented with only minimal redactions, the all-hands message:

A Message from Medical Officer Dr. McMillan, To all ICE employees, October 28, 2014

ICE Response to Ebola

As many of you know, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported four confirmed cases of Ebola in the United States. While the news of Ebola on U.S. soil is concerning to everyone, it is important to note that the CDC has advised the American public that the risk of an outbreak in the United States is very low. Nonetheless, ICE leadership will provide guidance and information regarding safety measures to ensure the health and well-being of the ICE workforce.

As an initial response, ICE has activated a modified Crisis Action Team to coordinate, monitor and assess ICE’s internal health and safety procedures. The DHS Office of Health Affairs is reviewing the existing protocols along with ICE officials to determine employees’ potential exposure to Ebola. Existing basic personal protective equipment in the form of protective gloves and masks is available at ICE field locations now, and ICE is working to acquire additional personal protective equipment should circumstances require it. In addition to the CDC guidance on Ebola including prevention and detection methods we provided earlier this month, training for the correct usage (donning, doffing and disposal) of the enhanced equipment will be made available to ICE personnel who use personal protective equipment in the course of their duties. Federal Occupational Health staff will provide hands-on training of the enhanced equipment.

ICE is closely monitoring the situation and will provide additional guidance and training regarding required personal protective equipment to help you to continue to perform your duties in a safe and healthy work environment.

On DHS.gov you can keep up with the latest information on Ebola including the results of passenger screening at the five airports which all those coming from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea must transit through to get into the U.S. For more information on ICE workplace health and safety, including the Ebola FAQs, visit the ICE Health and Safety Program online.

If you have questions or concerns about your personal health and safety regarding Ebola exposure, please contact Dr. David McMillan, Medical Officer with the ICE Office of Human Capital at [redacted] or 202-[redacted].

If you have questions in the course of executing your duties, please contact your operational chain of command.

Dr. David McMillan

Medical Officer, Office of Human Capital

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

ICE expects to be assisting other DHS elements in dealing with Ebola patient inflows.

Ebola is actually the least of ICE’s problems, believe it or not. The biggest problem is that the Executive in general and the Department of Justice in particular are opposed to removing or deporting criminal aliens, who the politicians see as valuable constituents, both at voting time and in providing demand for services such as welfare, that those politicians can provide.