Immigration Law
Detained Aliens Target Medical Care
Posted Jun 13, 2007, 11:03 am CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss
Lawyers claim that scores of illegal immigrants have received substandard medical care while in detention.
One immigrant, Francisco Castaneda, has filed a tort claim over medical neglect that he says allowed the spread of his penile cancer, the Washington Post reports. He is likely to die in two years, according to his claim.
Adele Kimmel, a co-counsel in Castaneda’s case, says it’s not an isolated problem. "It's all too common in the treatment of federal detainees," Kimmel told the newspaper. "They get treatment that you might see in a Third World country.”
The ACLU is also expressing concern, investigating whether medical negligence contributed to 20 deaths since 2004.
Officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement respond that detainees receive medical evaluations and excellent care.