Substandard Medical Care in Immigration Detention: Report

HRW, May 8, 2017 - "This report examines serious lapses in health care that have led to severe suffering and at times the preventable or premature death of individuals held in immigration detention facilities in the United States. The lapses occur in both publicly and privately run facilities, and have persisted despite some efforts at reform under the Obama administration, indicating that more decisive measures are urgently needed to improve conditions. At time of writing, it was unclear how the Trump administration would address the issue, but its pledge to sharply increase the number of immigrants subject to detention and reports it is also planning to roll back protections for immigrants in detention, raise serious concerns that the problems fueling the unnecessary suffering could grow even worse. ... [T]his report is based in large part on review by independent medical experts of ICE’s own investigations into deaths in custody and, in a range of other cases that did not involve deaths, independent review of detained individuals’ medical records as well as interviews with people who have been detained, family members, and those who have worked closely with them."