An Albanian detainee said the pain grew so unbearable that he pulled out his own tooth. A Venezuelan man's leg turned purple from flesh-eating bacteria after staff at a Vermont facility failed to bring him to a scheduled appointment. A Romanian man had a stroke mid-video call with his daughter after repeated pleas for his heart medication went unanswered.
These are among hundreds of accounts gathered in a joint investigation by KFF Health News and The Associated Press, which reviewed thousands of federal court filings and interviewed more than 50 detainees, family members and lawyers. Detainees across at least 33 states allege that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities are failing to provide adequate medical care — leaving people with uncontrolled blood pressure, untreated cancer, festering infections and, in some cases, permanent disabilities.
