Dilley ICE detainee at risk of death from lack of medical care, attorney says

DILLEY, Texas - Attorneys for a family held in a Dilley, Texas, ICE facility said the family has been held at the facility for nearly a year without proper medical care, leaving them with serious health issues and the mother at risk of death.

Hayam El Gamal and her five children have been held in Dilley since June of last year. 

On Wednesday, attorney Eric Lee said El Gamal suffered a "serious medical emergency" because of the "systematic denial of medical attention" while being held in the facility.

What they're saying:

"For many weeks Ms. El Gamal has been concerned about a growth on her chest that has caused pain for many weeks," Lee said on X. "She has made complaints to Dilley staff and ICE repeatedly but has been denied a visit to an outside doctor. She had specifically made requests for a CT scan to identify the lump and the source of her pain."

Lee said El Gamal was taken to an off-site emergency room on April 9 where she received a CT scan that showed an unidentified lump in her chest and "fluid around her heart." 

"The ER doctor recommended an ultrasound to determine what was causing the pain, but this was denied," Lee said. "Ms. El Gamal was told she had to go back to Dilley and was not given the ultrasound. We do not know if the lump is cancerous, all we know is that the pain is increasing, the incidents are becoming worse and worse, and she is not receiving proper diagnosis that could lead to proper treatment."

Lee said there's concern that the lack of medical attention could lead to her death. He also claims that her 5-year-old child has been denied care for 13 cavities and her 16-year-old son was told to take Tylenol when he suffered from acute appendicitis.

"Please join us in demanding the El Gamal's immediate release so that she can acquire the urgent medical attention she desperately needs," Lee said. "This family has suffered enough."

Lawmakers join in call to release family

Reps. Greg Casar and Joaquin Castro joined the call from Lee to have the family released.

What they're saying:

"I've just learned that Hayam El Gamal, who I met with at Dilley detention center last week, is being denied an ultrasound by ICE, even though CT scans show an unidentified lump that has been causing her pain," Casar said. "This is dangerous and outrageous. She has been detained with her children for nearly a year. She should be provided needed care or released so she can get it immediately."

"Hayam El Gamal and her five children have been locked away at the Dilley trailer prison for almost a year," Castro said. "I have met with the family at Dilley. The children are bright, gracious, and innocent. The family must be released."

The other side:

A request for comment from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement was directed to the Department of Homeland Security, which has not yet responded to the request.

Family detailed conditions in released letters

Dig deeper:

Last month, letters from El Gamal and her children were released by her attorneys that detailed the conditions they faced during their stay.

El Gamal and her oldest daughter detailed watching other detainees being abused at the hands of ICE agents and how they were not afforded privacy or allowed to cover themselves as required by their religion.

The letters talked about how they had found a fingernail in their food and if it wasn't for being able to purchase instant noodles the youngest children would not have eaten.

They also talked about the emotional toll being confined in Dilley has taken on the family and that they were all suffering from depression.