SHOCKING

Whistleblower: Shoddy Medical Care in ICE Custody Led to Immigrant Deaths, Preventable Surgeries

The whistleblower claims that an 8-year-old boy had part of his forehead removed while in ICE lockup.

Immigrants in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody received medical care that resulted in two preventable surgeries and contributed to four deaths, according to a whistleblower complaint filed in March reviewed by BuzzFeed News. The whistleblower alleges 17 reports of detainees being given incorrect medication and suffering from delays in treating withdrawal symptoms—with one man becoming lacerating his penis and needing surgery after becoming mentally unstable, according to the Department of Homeland Security memo. The whistleblower alleges that three people died in ICE custody after receiving inadequate medical treatment or oversight, and said official reports on a fourth person’s death were “very misleading.” The whistleblower also alleges that one of the preventable surgeries resulted in part of an 8-year-old boy’s forehead being removed, and that one man died from meningitis following “grossly negligent” care. BuzzFeed reports that the whistleblower is someone within the ICE Health Service Corps, which provides medical care and oversight for detainees in ICE custody, according to the memo.