The death of a Haitian woman who died while in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody has sparked a larger conversation about the conditions and healthcare provided to detainees in ICE custody.
According to immigration officials, Marie-Ange Blaise, 44, died on Friday, April 25 at the Broward Transitional Center in Pompano Beach, weeks after initially being detained in February.
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WATCH HEREIn a statement, the agency claims U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) located her on Feb. 12 at the international airport in Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, attempting to board a flight to Charlotte, North Carolina. ICE says Blaise entered the U.S. without admission or parole "on an unknown date and place.” She was moved through various facilities before ending up in South Florida.
Earlier this week, Congresswomen Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and Frederica Wilson called for a tour of the facility where Blaise died. On Thursday, they followed through with their demands, pressing for answers about the conditions that led to her death.
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During their visit, the lawmakers questioned the medical care given to Blaise, after detainees told the congresswomen she complained of chest pain multiple times. They were particularly concerned that she did not receive an EKG or medical attention at a hospital, considering her ongoing symptoms.
“They’re telling us that they followed protocol, but they are refusing to tell us what the protocol was,” Cherfilus-McCormick said. “Where is the transparency? We can’t stand for this, and now we are demanding an external investigation.”
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In its statement Tuesday, the immigration agency said that "at no time during detention" is a detainee "denied emergent care."
Cherfilus-McCormick also claimed that their visit was met with resistance from the medical coordinator and voiced concerns about staffing issues at the facility that she said is housing at least 500 detainees.
“They are being denied adequate healthcare,” Cherfilus-McCormick said. “If you tell me that one doctor can serve everybody that’s there, that’s absolutely ridiculous.”
While ICE has stated that it is investigating Blaise’s death, there are no clear answers yet. The lawmakers believe the situation may be part of a deeper issue with healthcare at the facility and expressed concerns that other detainees could face the same fate as Blaise.
Wilson pointed to the private company “GEO Group,” which currently operates the Broward Transitional Center, as a key factor in the ongoing concerns.
“This isn’t the first time there’s been a health issue at this facility,” Wilson said, referencing her previous tour of the facility in 2012. “Now it’s the same private company running this facility. It’s time for Congress and Homeland Security to pull that contract.”
Both congresswomen are now calling for a full investigation into Blaise’s death and more Congressional oversight of medical care at ICE detention centers across the country.
