Medical Neglect Allegations Surge in US Immigration Detention Centers

An investigation by KFF Health News and The Associated Press has uncovered widespread allegations of medical neglect across U.S. immigration detention facilities, with hundreds of detainees in at least 33 states filing federal lawsuits claiming inadequate care.

The reports detail cases ranging from untreated infections and denied medications to delayed cancer treatment, often with severe consequences.

Among the cases highlighted, an Albanian man in New Mexico reportedly pulled out his own tooth due to unbearable pain, a Honduran woman in Florida was hospitalized for a heart problem after being denied blood pressure medication, and a Venezuelan man in Vermont developed flesh-eating bacteria after missing a scheduled doctor's appointment. Detainees allege they were denied medications for conditions including high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, epilepsy, Parkinson's, and HIV, with requests for help going unanswered for weeks.

The investigation analyzed thousands of habeas corpus petitions filed since President Donald Trump's second inauguration, revealing a surge in detentions—over 75,000 immigrants were held as of mid-January, up from around 40,000 a year earlier. The Department of Homeland Security reported 51 deaths in detention since the start of the second Trump administration, with suicides reaching unprecedented levels.

In Georgia, a father of six said he was injured when the vehicle transporting him to an Atlanta facility jolted, throwing him into a metal armrest. His wound became infected with E.

coli, and he was not treated until he passed out, narrowly avoiding leg amputation. CoreCivic, which runs the facility, said medical staff found no records matching the description.

A detainee in California who lost one eye and had severe glaucoma in the other said he sometimes missed his twice-daily eye drops, fearing he would lose his remaining vision. His attorney described the situation as "brazen indifference to really obvious problems."

In Florida, Jose-Antonio Segismundo was deported to Mexico without receiving treatment for abdominal cancer, despite his wife sending medical records to officials. He was given only Tylenol for pain.

Geo Group, which runs the facility, said it follows ICE standards and provides healthcare.

The Department of Homeland Security recently shut the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman, leaving detainees with little recourse. Families report feeling helpless as they watch loved ones deteriorate, making desperate calls to facilities and legislators.

ICE's acting chief medical officer, Sean Conley, has stated that detainees receive timely and appropriate medical care, calling it "better, more responsive healthcare than many aliens have ever received." However, the investigation's findings contradict this assertion, with detainees and lawyers describing a system overwhelmed by a surge in detentions and failing to meet basic medical needs.