Immigrant Daily

Supreme Court to Hear Detainee Care Case

A lawsuit filed by a now-deceased man over inappropriate medical care while he was in the custody of U.S. immigration officials in San Diego is set to go before the U.S. Supreme Court. Franciso Castaneda, an immigrant from El Salvador, died in February 2008 after a battle with penile cancer. Castaneda had sought medical care for symptoms while in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at a contract detention facility in San Diego and later at an agency facility in the Los Angeles area. He filed suit against the government and various individual federal medical officials and providers in November 2007, alleging he was denied appropriate medical attention for a painful lesion on his penis for almost a year, though various doctors within the detention system recommended a biopsy. Shortly after Castaneda’s death, family members were substituted as plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Last spring, the federal government acknowledged that there had been medical negligence. Attorney representing Castaneda’s family said “This is also a deliberate indifference case, deliberately refusing this guy medical care, which is a constitutional violation.”

For detailed information, please read: Supreme Court to Hear Detainee Care Case