ICE owes millions to hospitals and detainees can't get treatment

Key Points:

• Rodrigo, a 58-year-old green-card holder with recurrent throat cancer, was detained by ICE for 10 months during which his requests for oncological care were repeatedly denied, leading to severe health deterioration and delayed treatment.
• Since October 2025, ICE has failed to pay medical providers due to the Department of Veterans Affairs ending its claims-processing agreement, resulting in canceled or delayed offsite medical appointments and limited access to necessary treatments for detainees.
• Independent medical reviews and investigations reveal systemic medical neglect in ICE detention centers, with detainees facing life-threatening delays, denials of specialty care, and being improperly billed for medical services that ICE is legally required to cover.
• Several detainees, including those with cancer, brain tumors, and injuries, suffered serious health consequences due to inadequate medical care, with some released only after legal intervention; meanwhile, medical providers are owed millions and continue care despite nonpayment.
• ICE and the Department of Homeland Security defend the quality and availability of care, but critics label the agency’s current medical policies a "death policy," highlighting the ethical and legal concerns surrounding detainee healthcare and billing practices.