"He Pulled His Own Tooth" ICE Detainees Describe Missed Medications, Untreated Illnesses and Medical Delays

An Albanian man held at a New Mexico immigration detention center said the pain in his mouth became so severe that he pulled out his own tooth after waiting months for treatment. A Honduran mother detained in Florida said she ended up in a hospital with a heart problem after going without prescribed blood pressure medication.

Immigrants housed in detention centers spanning at least 33 states have alleged delayed, denied or inadequate medical care, according to an investigation by KFF Health News and the Associated Press. Court petitions, interviews and family accounts describe missed medications, untreated infections, canceled appointments and worsening health conditions inside facilities operated directly or indirectly through Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Material reviewed during the investigation included allegations involving diabetes, HIV, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, glaucoma and cancer. Detainees described waiting weeks for help while blood sugar levels climbed, infections spread and chronic illnesses deteriorated.

A Venezuelan detainee said flesh eating bacteria left his leg swollen and discolored after a missed medical appointment. Another immigrant reported suffering a stroke after prescribed medication was not provided following heart surgery. Relatives interviewed by reporters described feeling powerless as loved ones struggled to obtain treatment.

Roughly 75,000 immigrants were being held by ICE earlier this year, nearly double the detention population from a year ago. Attorneys and family members interviewed during the reporting argued that rapid growth inside detention facilities has stretched health services and slowed access to care.

Transfers between detention centers created another obstacle. Detainees reported arriving at new locations without medical files, prescriptions or scheduled specialist visits, leaving treatment plans interrupted for days or weeks.

Agency representatives maintain that people in custody receive appropriate health services and that detention standards require access to treatment. Yet declarations filed under penalty of perjury paint a far different picture, with detainees describing unanswered requests, lengthy waits and worsening symptoms.

Running through many of the accounts was a sense of desperation. From a man removing his own tooth to detainees describing untreated cancers and repeated seizures, the allegations portray a health care system struggling to keep pace with a rapidly expanding detention population.