Hayman El Gamal, Mom of 5, Rushed to ER After ICE Denied Medical Care for Weeks
Hayman El Gamal, a mother of five held in ICE detention in Texas, was rushed to the emergency room after authorities refused to give her a CT scan for weeks. El Gamal found an abnormal growth in her chest but officials at the Dilley detention center denied her medical care.
Hayman El Gamal and her five children have been locked up at an ICE detention center in Dilley, Texas, since June 2023 - more than 300 days. That's an unusually long time for children to be held in immigration detention.
El Gamal discovered an abnormal growth in her chest and asked for a CT scan to check if it was dangerous. But detention center authorities refused to get her the scan for weeks, according to court documents filed by her attorney.
On Wednesday, El Gamal suffered what her lawyer Eric Lee called a "serious medical emergency" because of the "systematic denial of medical attention." She was finally taken to the emergency room.
El Gamal's family is connected to the Boulder attack suspect, which may explain why they've been held so long. Her children are now pleading with a federal judge to release them from detention.
Immigration advocates say this case highlights ongoing problems with medical care in ICE facilities, where detainees often struggle to get proper treatment for health issues.
This case shows how medical care works in immigration detention centers, where families can be held for months. When detained people can't get proper medical treatment, it raises questions about basic healthcare rights for immigrants in government custody.
A federal judge will decide whether to release El Gamal and her children from detention.
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