A recent report by the American Civil Liberties Union and other human rights organizations found that most of the deaths of detainees in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from 2017 to 2021 could have been prevented with proper medical care. The report examined the deaths of 52 individuals in ICE custody during this period, with medical experts concluding that 49 of these deaths were preventable or possibly preventable. The report highlights instances where detainees did not receive appropriate medical care, leading to tragic outcomes such as undiagnosed conditions and discontinued treatment. ICE has stated that it takes the safety of those in its custody seriously and provides comprehensive medical care, although the report’s findings suggest otherwise.
The report details specific cases where individuals in ICE custody did not receive adequate medical treatment, resulting in their deaths. For example, one detainee, Jesse Jerome Dean Jr., died from an undiagnosed gastrointestinal hemorrhage despite showing severe symptoms that were ignored by medical staff. In another case, Kamyar Samimi died after staff at the Aurora Detention Center discontinued his medication, leading to withdrawal symptoms that were left untreated. The report’s analysis found that ICE facilities often provided incorrect or incomplete diagnoses, delayed treatment, and failed to provide basic precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in additional deaths.
The report also highlights instances where ICE facilities failed to provide appropriate mental health care, leading to deaths by suicide. One individual, Jean Jiménez, died by suicide in 2017 at the Stewart Detention Center in Georgia after staff ignored his concerns about his medication and did not provide adequate psychiatric resources. The report underscores the need for ICE to improve mental health care services in its facilities to prevent future deaths by suicide. Family members of the deceased have spoken out about the failures of ICE to provide necessary care, emphasizing that many of these deaths were preventable and avoidable with proper treatment.
Medical experts involved in the report’s analysis have called for increased oversight and accountability within ICE facilities to address deficiencies in medical care. The report found instances of evidence destruction, falsification of medical information, and failure to interview important witnesses in the investigations of detainee deaths. Additionally, ICE facilities frequently made incorrect diagnoses and provided inadequate or delayed treatment. The report’s authors argue that ICE’s current oversight mechanisms are critically flawed and ineffective in preventing future deaths.
Ultimately, the report advocates for significant changes within ICE detention facilities, including the dismantling of the detention program. In the meantime, advocates are calling for measures to release individuals with medical and mental health vulnerabilities from custody and to ensure prompt medical screening for detained immigrants. Family members of individuals who have died in ICE custody are demanding justice and accountability for the preventable deaths of their loved ones. Cho, one of the lead authors of the report, emphasizes the need for increased transparency and accountability to address the failures in medical care within ICE facilities and prevent further tragedies from occurring.
