Source: Immigration Impact
This case, as horrific as it is, is not a rare exception. The injustices and inhumanity surrounding immigrant detentions are well-documented, widespread, and increasing under this administration. It needs to stop.
“After her five-day detainment in one of the agency’s “hieleras” or ice boxes—cells that are notorious for their freezing, harsh temperatures—Hernández was then transferred to Cibola County Correctional Center where she suffered from severe vomiting and diarrhea. She received no medical attention during her time in the ICE facility.
Though ICE initially claimed that the cause of death was cardiac arrest, the autopsy states that Hernández—who was HIV-positive—died from “severe complications of dehydration.” Her dehydration was compounded by the HIV infection, supporting the claim that her lack of treatment led to her death.
Unfortunately, death and inadequate medical care in ICE facilities are not unique to Hernández. In fact, her death represents the 27th death of immigrants in ICE custody since 2015. Numerous reports and studies from medical experts and immigration advocacy groups show a long pattern of ICE’s failure to provide adequate medical care. One found that ICE’s failure to comply with their own medical standards contributed to at least half of the reported in-custody deaths between 2010 and mid-2012.”