Immigration Detainees Allege Widespread Medical Neglect in ICE Facilities Across the U.S.

An investigation by KFF Health News and The Associated Press has revealed hundreds of federal lawsuits alleging that immigration detention facilities across at least 33 states are failing to provide adequate medical care to detainees. The reports detail cases of detainees pulling out their own teeth, being denied blood pressure medications, and suffering from flesh-eating bacteria due to missed medical appointments.

The surge in detentions since President Donald Trump returned to office has overwhelmed the system, with over 75,000 immigrants detained as of mid-January, up from around 40,000 a year earlier. The investigation analyzed thousands of habeas corpus petitions filed since Trump's second inauguration, offering a rare window into the alleged medical neglect.

Detainees report not receiving medications for conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, epilepsy, Parkinson's, and HIV. Requests for help often go unanswered for weeks, leading to collapses and seizures.

The Department of Homeland Security reported 51 deaths in detention since the start of Trump's second term, with suicides reaching an unprecedented number. DHS acting chief medical officer Sean Conley stated that it is policy for detainees to receive timely and appropriate medical care, but individual facilities and private prison companies have blamed detainees themselves for lapses.

The investigation found that even basic care, such as gauze for wounds or prenatal care, is often denied. Detainees are frequently moved across the country, interrupting treatment.

One detainee with glaucoma lost vision after missing eye drops, and another with prostate cancer was not taken to a specialist despite a court order. The surge in habeas corpus petitions, over 40,000 filed during Trump's second term, has been fueled by decisions to deny bond to many detainees.

However, many judges have declined to release detainees based on medical neglect claims, stating that the habeas process is not the proper avenue for such allegations. The investigation highlights a system under strain, with advocates describing a "brazen indifference to really obvious problems."