Federal Judge Orders ICE to Fix Failing Medical Care in Detention Centers
A federal judge has ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to improve medical care for detainees, ruling in a lawsuit that highlighted severe failures in health services at detention centres. The case involved Fernando Viera Reyes, a 51-year-old man who was denied a critical biopsy despite showing symptoms of possible prostate cancer. Reyes was held at an immigration detention centre in California's Mojave Desert instead of receiving the medical procedure he urgently needed. He repeatedly requested a biopsy after blood appeared in his urine—a potential sign of cancer spreading. Yet months passed without action. The lawsuit, led by Kyle Virgien of the ACLU's National Prison Project, argued that ICE was failing to meet basic health standards, with detainees not receiving initial medical screenings, routine care, or prompt responses to serious complaints. Virgien warned that the system could not handle the rising number of sick detainees under current conditions. This case added to broader concerns about detention centre deaths. Since January 2017, at least 60 people have died in ICE custody and over 160 in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody, according to independent reports. Lawmakers like Rep. Henry Cuellar and Sen. Jeff Merkley have raised these issues in hearings and official letters. The judge's order now requires ICE and DHS to provide proper health care and allow external inspections. ICE and its Health Services Corps have not responded to requests for comment. The ruling forces ICE to address long-standing medical failures in detention facilities. Without reforms, the health risks for detainees will likely persist. The case also fuels political criticism of Trump's deportation policies, which have filled detention centres beyond capacity.
Read also:
- India's Agriculture Minister Reviews Sector Progress Amid Heavy Rains, Crop Areas Up
- Sleep Maxxing Trends and Tips: New Zealanders Seek Better Rest
- Over 1.7M in Baden-Württemberg at Poverty Risk, Emmendingen's Housing Crisis Urgent
- Cyprus, Kuwait Strengthen Strategic Partnership with Upcoming Ministerial Meeting
