Crisis as Trump admin cuts off medical care for migrant detainees and detentions explode
Explosive new reporting shows the Trump administration has stopped paying for medical care for immigrant detainees, and detention facilities face catastrophe as the detained population has nearly doubled.
Popular Information's Judd Legum reported Tuesday that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has not paid third-party medical providers a dime since Oct. 3. The agency posted a notice announcing it wouldn't even begin processing claims until April 30, leaving medical providers with instructions to "hold all claims submissions."
Medical providers are now denying services to detainees, and those inside are allegedly being denied essential medical care.
Viera Reyes, held at the California City Detention Facility, showed symptoms and test results suggesting prostate cancer. But Reyes has been denied a biopsy and cannot see a urologist, according to the report, despite being in excruciating pain with no diagnosis.
The Veterans Affairs department managed these claims for over 20 years without affecting veteran services. But after Republican officials attacked the practice—with Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) falsely claiming former President Joe Biden was "robbing veterans to pay off illegals" — the VA "abruptly and instantly terminated" its agreement Oct. 3.
Internal data reveals a staggering $300 million gap between needed care and what ICE actually paid. Sen. John Ossoff's (D-GA) investigation documented "85 credible reports of medical neglect" including heart attacks from untreated chest pain and complications from untreated diabetes.
A replacement contractor won't be operational until late April at the earliest.