It has been nine months since Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents shot popular TikTok creator Carlitos Ricardo Parias in South Los Angeles.
His family now fears he could lose his arm.
Known as “Richard LA” on social media, Parias had gained a following as a citizen journalist, documenting what was happening in his community — including ICE raids — before he found himself in ICE custody. He has no criminal record except for his illegal arrival in the U.S. in 2002 from Mexico. He was charged with assault on a federal officer, which was later dismissed by a federal judge, but the Trump administration is appealing the decision.
Parias was given medical treatment following the shooting in October, but his family and Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Calif., claim he’s being medically neglected at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center.
“We have been fighting with the detention facility to give him the treatment that he deserves, that all of us deserve. And what we were able to find out was that for this gunshot wound, he’s been given Bengay and Vitamin D. And I don’t know about you, but that is not how you would treat a wound like that,” Kamlager-Dove told Spectrum News Wednesday.
The Los Angeles congressional representative visited Parias in May and said what she saw during that meeting was “heartbreaking.”
“This was a man whose arm was purple, and it was atrophying. To my eye, it looked like he is on the verge of having his arm amputated,” recalled Rep. Kamlager-Dove. “When I talked to Ricardo, I was heartbroken. This was a man who shared that he was losing his spirit and his will to live.”
Spectrum News has obtained Parias’ medical records from his time in Adelanto, which report a recommendation of physical therapy for his injury and that his arm pain is so severe, a simple touch can cause his eyes to tear.
“What we’re seeing happen in these facilities is inhumane. We are seeing our constituents being medically abused,” Kamlager-Dove charged.
Spectrum News reached out to both ICE and the Department of Homeland Security for response to the congresswoman’s claims of medical abuse and for a status update on Parias, but the request went unanswered.
Carlos Jurado, Parias’ lawyer, told reporters Wednesday that the family was alerted Tuesday evening that ICE is willing to move Parias to Otay Mesa, another detention center near the California border, in order to ensure better healthcare.
His family worries that such a move could lead to his deportation.
“Reportedly, this move was so that they could give him the medical care — they have been telling us all these months, since October, that they’ve been giving him the proper medical care. So what has changed?” questioned Jurado. “Is it the pressure? Is it the lawsuit? And now we have members of Congress helping us out with this. We don’t trust that move.”
Jurado told Spectrum News that he saw Parias yesterday and believes there could be nerve damage to his arm, and that his condition is getting worse. “It’s becoming increasingly difficult for him to open his hand,” he explained. “It looks like there is a loss of blood flow to his fingers.”
Parias had been denied bond, but is currently appealing to try and get released from custody while his case plays out.
While she continues to advocate for Parias, Kamlager-Dove, surrounded by his family and fellow California Democrats, announced Wednesday that she is introducing the Stop ICE’s Medical Neglect Act to make changes to how DHS operates when it comes to accusations of medical neglect in their facilities. The bill would direct outside, board-certified practitioners to review complaints of neglect and provide appropriate care for individuals, as well as streamline confidential filing to protect detainees from retaliation.
Parias’ son, Ulises, pleaded with those listening to pay attention to what is happening within the community.
“Please wake up. What’s happening to our streets, to our community, to our people — it’s unfair and unjust,” he told reporters. “America has been a [melting] pot, where many people come to this land to make this place a better place than it was yesterday. And seeing this happen in our streets, claiming that every immigrant they can — came to this land being criminals, rapists and other stuff is truly heartbreaking.”
Kamlager-Dove’s bill has little chance of passing in the Republican-controlled Congress, which has continued to bolster ICE’s efforts and resources over the course of President Donald Trump’s second term in office.
Yet, the two-term congresswoman said she remains undeterred in seeking justice for people she says are being mistreated by ICE.
“These are about showing the receipts, the receipts about what this government is doing to our community members,” she said. “It is wrong, it is inhumane, it will not be tolerated. There will be investigations, there will be subpoenas, there could be prosecutions — but we are certainly going to overhaul this madness with a quickness because this cannot be tolerated.”