A Guatemalan immigrant who had been detained at Camp East Montana in El Paso and had received medical treatment numerous times while in federal custody died last week after being transported to a Far Eastside hospital in mid-November, according to U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
Francisco Gaspar-Andres, 48, who had been in ICE custody, died at 5:53 a.m. Dec. 3 at the Hospitals of Providence East, ICE said in a news release Dec. 5. His cause of death is pending, ICE said, adding that medical staff attributed it to natural liver and kidney failure.
The news release was posted on the ICE website, but doesn’t appear to have been widely distributed to the media.
Gaspar-Andres had entered the U.S. illegally, ICE said, and was arrested Sept. 1 in Florida by highway patrol troopers working with Enforcement and Removal Operations. He had received medical treatment under ICE custody several times, according to the agency.
“From the moment they were notified of his health crisis, ICE medical staff ensured he had constant, high-quality care,” ICE said in its news release.
U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, in a statement Tuesday criticized ICE for the “cruel treatment” of detainees at the facility on Fort Bliss and said Congress was not directly notified “until nearly a week after the death and hours after our office inquired with relevant Congressional committees earlier today.”
“Despite claims from DHS about the inhumane, abhorrent conditions at facilities like Camp East Montana being ‘categorically false,’ my own visits and discussions with detainees prove otherwise,” Escobar said in the statement.
The ACLU and other human rights organizations on Monday released a letter sent to ICE and Fort Bliss officials calling for the camp to be shut down, alleging detained immigrants are subject to beatings and sexual abuse by officers, as well as medical neglect, hunger and insufficient food, and denial of access to attorneys.
According to ICE:
Gaspar-Andres was admitted to a hospital in Miami on Sept. 4, allegedly “due to alcohol withdrawl.” He was released Sept. 7.
He was transferred to El Paso on Sept. 19 pending removal proceedings, and for days later was treated for acid reflux and headaches by medical staff at Camp East Montana.
He was treated again on Sept. 27, Oct. 2 and Oct. 9 for acid reflux and allergy symptoms, acid reflux and heartburn, and indigestion and heartburn, respectively.
From Nov. 3 to Nov. 13, he continued receiving medical treatment for lightheadedness, flu-like symptoms, bleeding gums, sore throat and body aches. In the days that followed, he was treated for fever, body aches, productive cough with phlegm, jaundice, severe left lower extremity edema and hypertension.
He was admitted to Providence on Nov. 16 due to low sodium levels and was diagnosed by hospital medical staff with hyponatremia three days later.
“Gaspar-Andres was lethargic and showed poor improvement. He received antibiotics and intravenous fluids,” ICE said, and a Nov. 19 MRI showed he had pansinusitis.
He was intubated Nov. 21. On Nov. 24 he was placed on a liver transplant list and placed on dialysis and palliative care.
He was visited by a priest Nov. 26.
He continued dialysis until Dec. 1, when he was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit due to hypotension during dialysis. He was diagnosed with renal failure and internal bleeding, and was placed on supplemental oxygen “for comfort,” ICE said.
Gaspar-Andres was pronounced dead Dec. 3.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Related
LISTEN: EL PASO MATTERS PODCAST