An Albanian man suffering intense pain pulled out his own tooth during his extended stay in a New Mexico immigration detention center. A Honduran mother, unable to access blood pressure medications in Florida, was hospitalized with a heart condition. A Venezuelan man developed a severe leg infection from flesh-eating bacteria in Vermont after missing a doctor’s appointment.
An investigation by KFF Health News and The Associated Press reveals claims of inadequate medical care in immigration detention facilities across at least 33 states, as detainees suggest. The lawsuits document a failure to provide timely medications for serious conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and epilepsy. Some detainees experienced untreated infections and cancers, resulting in seizures and collapses.
These facilities have historic difficulties providing adequate medical care. With the return of President Donald Trump to office, more than 75,000 immigrants were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by mid-January, compared to around 40,000 the previous year. Legal records in habeas corpus cases highlight detainees’ claims of medical neglect, emphasizing the dire conditions in the detention system.
According to research published in JAMA, deaths in ICE custody have reached a 20-year high, with 51 fatalities since Trump’s second term began. Despite requests for comment, DHS did not respond. Officials claim timely medical care for detainees is both a policy and practice, yet persistent allegations of neglect point to systemic issues.
“I have never seen such disregard or medical neglect,” wrote Vardan Gukasian, a political dissident detained in Nevada for 13 months while suffering health problems. Despite court orders, medical care often remained insufficient.
A detainee in Georgia described an ordeal where his leg infection, contracted in unsanitary conditions, nearly led to amputation. Despite demanding medical aid, he collapsed before receiving treatment. He was eventually released but remains uncertain about his ability to resume construction work.
Reports from detainees include missing basic care, being denied supplies like gauze, and suffering deteriorations in health without adequate intervention. The U.S. justice system largely views immigration proceedings as civil, yet human rights issues persist. Allegations suggest the detained receive inferior care compared to standard prison populations, exacerbated by frequent relocations disrupting treatment schedules.
Some detainees’ legal battles for necessary medical treatments highlight system inefficiencies. For instance, one California judge’s directive for a man to see a specialist for prostate cancer went unheeded due to a “scheduling error.”
Immigrants have filed over 40,000 habeas corpus petitions, challenging potentially illegal detentions under ICE. The filings often remain confidential, obscuring the extent of medical neglect highlighted by specific cases. Advocacy efforts push for better transparency and accountability.
Detainees and their families recount struggles to secure necessary healthcare. For example, Masuma Khan, from Bangladesh, repeatedly faced neglect in a California facility, barely receiving critical medications before her release. The scrutiny of ICE procedures exposes a pressing need for reform and better health care management.
Recent policies contribute to extended detentions, including of individuals with severe medical needs. With ICE’s annual healthcare spending increasing substantially, ongoing detentions raise concerns about the system’s cost and capacity.
The family narratives expose compelling dilemmas. For instance, Cassandra Amador worries daily about her husband’s health as medication shortages inside detention threaten his life. Contentions over medical care and enforcement approach demand urgent solutions to protect detainees’ health rights.