A new report by BuzzFeed News says that they have obtained an ICE agency whistleblower’s complaint—seen here in a Department of Homeland Security memo—and it illustrates another low for our government. The whistleblower’s allegations include charges that detainees were given the wrong medications and delays in important medications, which, in turn, resulted in worsening conditions, including “preventable surgeries,” and even death.
The whistleblower’s allegations have to do with ICE’s Medical Quality Management Unit finding serious issues with the medical care and quality at ICE facilities, reporting on them internally, and then watching as little was done to fix these vital issues. One of the more agonizing allegations involves the case of an 8-year-old boy suffering from what his mother believed to be an “earache.” ICE Health Service Corps (IHSC) diagnosed the child with Swimmer’s Ear, gave him drops and sent him back into detention. It wasn’t Swimmer’s Ear and the child ended up needing a surgery to remove part of his frontal skull to treat a Pott’s Puffy Tumor that had also developed an abscess.
“Allegedly, delayed medical care and misdiagnosis led to an infection that spread from the child’s ear to his facial bone, requiring a partial bone resection. According to the information provided, on December 5, 2017, the child’s mother first reported that her child had a progressively worsening earache for the past two weeks. The child was subsequently treated using nursing guidelines for Allergies/Fever/Pain, diagnosed with Swimmer’s Ear, and given ear drops. However, on December 23, 2017, the child was noted to have seizure activity and was transferred to the hospital where he was diagnosed with Pott’s Puffy Tumor with epidural and subdural abscess resulting in partial frontal bone resection. Further, the complainant alleged that MQMU performed an analysis of the case and found that the inadequate medical care provided by STFRC was a contributory factor resulting in harm. MQMU’s report was forwarded to IHSC leadership and MQMU requested findings and/or interventions from Clinical Services, yet IHSC leadership failed to take appropriate action.”
According to BuzzFeedNews, the allegations were made in 2018 and sent on to Cameron Quinn, DHS’s officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. The memo Buzzfeed News obtained is the one Quinn sent on to “top ICE leadership,” and identifies the whistleblower as someone working inside the ICE Health Service Corps (IHSC). The allegations detail the poor treatment of 17 different detainees being held in nine different ICE facilities across the country. Here’s a look at some of the whistleblower’s allegations:
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That immigrants received incorrect medications. One man was given an antidepressant instead of an antipsychotic drug, likely worsening his condition. Another was given aspirin despite having thin blood — he nearly died.
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That four immigrants endured severe withdrawal symptoms while in ICE custody. One man addicted to opioids was the subject of a “medication error”; two men with a benzodiazepine addiction saw delays in treatment; and one man “went into severe alcohol withdrawal and delirium and was admitted to the hospital in the intensive care unit.”
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That IHSC leadership was unresponsive or even dishonest when confronted. They “failed to take appropriate action” when told of policy violations in 10 of the cases; “did not respond” to concerns about one case in which a detainee with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma died under “deplorable” conditions; and were “erroneous” and told others to “hold off” when looking into several cases.
There’s a reason why whistleblowers are an important part of any democratic society. When things become opaque in government agencies like ICE, bad things can be allowed to flourish. Violations of human rights, beyond what the public already knows about, appear to be happening daily. Daily Kos’ Gabe Ortiz has chronicled the many deaths that have taken place at ICE detention centers, the cover-ups, and the dubious handling of the people forced into their charge. The fact that Trump’s immigration policy at this point is a human and civil rights nightmare, the execution of his program has been fraught with the kind of planned negligence and incompetence that has become the trademark of Republican fascism.
ICE sent a statement to BuzzFeed News about their oversight, which you can read here. The statement is a long one that basically says they have all kinds of great oversight and high standards. When the bar for your standards is Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell, it’s probably very easy to believe anything you do can be considered of quality.