Two Cuban doctors have claimed they and other detainees were forced to live in unhealthy conditions while held at an immigration detention in the United States.
According a story published by CNN, the Caribbean-born doctors were placed at the Pine Prairie ICE Processing Center in Louisiana while they sought asylum in the U.S. While there, each for more than a year, they said “they watched people around them receiving poor medical care, but - despite their years of training - felt powerless to help,” the news network reported.
One of the doctors has since been deported, while the other remains in U.S custody.
Both stated in court documents that they saw mold on the walls of the center, medical officers making incorrect diagnoses and the improper use of quarantines.
DENIAL
The center is run by a private company which, CNN reported, “strongly disputes” the doctors’ allegations.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, which placed the doctors at the center, told CNN it “couldn't comment on the specific allegations due to pending litigation, but said the agency provides ‘comprehensive medical care’ and is committed to the welfare of everyone in its custody”.
According to the story, the doctors said center guards “painted over mold on the walls rather than fixing the problem.” They also claimed “water would run down the wall and pool onto the floor” to become a safety hazard. An detainee reportedly slipped in the water and broke his arms. One doctor described the conditions at Pine Prairie as “unsafe, unsanitary and discriminatory.”
“It has become quite clear to me that our safety is not a priority of the staff here, which is deeply upsetting,” one doctor stated in his June court filing.
ICE claims it spends $260 million a year on health care for detainees, according to the CNN story.
