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ACLU and Victims of Inadequate Medical Care to Urge Congress to Improve Standards for Immigrant Detainees
FOR PLANNING PURPOSES: October 2, 2007
Contact: Allison Peltzman, (202) 675-2312, media@dcaclu.org
Washington, DC – The American Civil Liberties Union and victims of poor medical treatment in immigrant
detention facilities will testify before the Immigration Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee urging
Congress for more oversight of the medial care of immigrants in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
detention facilities and for a legislative fix to the bureaucratic, and often inadequate medical care, which has
resulted in sickness and even death.
The witnesses include activists, victims of poor treatment in ICE detention and relatives of people who died in
ICE custody. Award-winning author Edwidge Danticat will testify about her uncle, a Haitian refugee, who died
in ICE custody; Francisco Castaneda will discuss the policies that forced him have his penis removed because
ICE denied him treatment for what was later diagnosed as penile cancer; and June Everett will testify about her
sister, who was detained by ICE notwithstanding her serious medical needs and ultimately died due to
inadequate medical care.
WHAT: A hearing before the Immigration Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee in which
activists and former ICE detainees will argue for adequate and humane medical treatment in
immigrant detention facilities
WHO:
Francisco Castaneda, Former detainee whose untreated cancer in ICE detention resulted in the
removal of his penis and the aggressive spread of cancer to other parts of his body
Edwidge Danticat, Acclaimed author and niece of Reverend Joseph Dantica, who died in ICE
custody
June Everett, Sister of Sandra Kenley, who died in ICE custody
Tom Jawetz, Immigration Detention Staff Attorney, ACLU National Prison Project
Allen Keller, MD, Director of the NYU School of Medicine Center for Health and Human
Rights
Cheryl Little, Executive Director, Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center
WHEN: 1 p.m. Thursday, October 4th
WHERE: 2141 Rayburn House Office Building
