By Dulce Amor Rodriguez
Bulatlat.com

MANILA — A Filipino father detained at the Northwest Detention Center (NWDC) in Tacoma, Washington, underwent the amputation of a toe after months of alleged medical neglect, advocates said during a press conference and rally outside St. Joseph Medical Center where he was hospitalized. Community groups and migrant advocates called the case as another example of systemic medical violence in “for-profit” U.S. immigration detention.

The detainee was identified as “Kuya G.” He has lived in the United States as a lawful permanent resident for nearly 20 years and is a father of three. He has been in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody since March and detained at NWDC for eight months, according to Tanggol Migrante Movement and allied organizations.

Advocates say NWDC health staff repeatedly failed to diagnose or adequately treat Kuya G’s symptoms—months of internal gastrointestinal bleeding, severe abdominal pain, bloody stools, fever, extreme fatigue and rapid weight loss. He lost about 20 pounds during detention, they said. Only after he begged for help did ICE transfer him to St. Joseph Medical Center on October 16, where doctors diagnosed colitis and flagged possible colon cancer.

After his October 16 visit he returned to NWDC, but his condition worsened. He was readmitted to the hospital on October 23 with a severe bone infection. Doctors determined the infection had progressed to the point that amputation of a toe was necessary. Advocates described the amputation as a preventable consequence of delayed care.

Medical staff inside NWDC allegedly performed only four medical encounters over several months and, in one instance, prescribed laxatives that advocates say exacerbated gastrointestinal bleeding. Community groups said these actions reflect a pattern of substandard and harmful care at the for-profit facility run by Global Expertise in Outsourcing (GEO) Group on contract with ICE.

Community presses for accountability and diplomatic intervention

Tanggol Migrante, Defend Migrants Alliance, International Migrants Alliance, and other Filipino community organizations held the press conference and a rally outside St. Joseph’s to demand immediate comprehensive medical care for Kuya G, specifically in a hospital, and to call for accountability from ICE and Geo Group. They also demanded urgent diplomatic intervention from the Philippine Consulate.

During the press conference, organizers said they have repeatedly contacted the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco and the Philippine Embassy to request intervention for Filipino nationals suffering severe medical neglect in U.S. detention, but they received no substantive response. Tanggol Migrante said it submitted a detailed report to the consulate in August documenting medical neglect at NWDC, but advocates said the consulate has not taken meaningful action.

“The Philippine consulate cannot deny the fact that their Philippine national is in crisis, yet they neglect to move a single finger. They have told Kuya G that they will follow the decision that the US government makes, proving they prioritize their diplomatic relationships over serving their people while also claiming they provide proper assistance to migrants in detention,” shared Marx, a representative of Migrante Southcenter, criticizing what advocates described as diplomatic inaction while Filipinos in detention suffer urgent health crises.

NWDC’s record and the wider pattern of neglect

The NWDC, a large for-profit facility operated by Geo Group, has faced longstanding community scrutiny and allegations of poor medical care, inadequate sanitation, and harsh conditions. Local activist groups and watchdogs have documented previous preventable deaths, reports of denied care, and patterns of neglect at the facility. Advocates say Kuya G’s case fits into that troubling pattern.

Local migrant-rights organizations reported that ICE and NWDC staff denied community members access to visit the hospitalized detainee and blocked family and supporters from meaningful contact while he lay in the hospital. Organizers called this isolation an additional layer of cruelty that compounds the physical harm.

Calls for legal remedies and review

Tanggol Migrante and allies demanded that Kuya G’s case be reopened to allow appeals and humane consideration of his medical emergency. They also urged investigations into NWDC’s medical contracting arrangements with ICE and called for independent oversight of medical care at the facility. Organizers asked U.S. and Philippine authorities to ensure detainees receive timely, adequate medical care and family access.

Keri of Malaya Tacoma said community members had tried to bring food and support to the detained man but faced refusals from ICE and Geo Group officers. “To deny someone both critical medical care and human connection is cruel and dehumanizing,” Keri said.

Organizers described the amputation as another example of preventable harm that can and must be addressed through oversight, transparency, and prompt medical access for detainees. “We demand comprehensive care and full recovery for Kuya G in the hospital—not in a detention center,” the groups said in their joint statement.

Advocates pressed for immediate steps: release of medically vulnerable detainees to community care where appropriate; independent review of medical decision-making inside NWDC; civil and administrative accountability for failures to provide timely care; and diplomatic advocacy from the Philippine government for its nationals.

Human rights standards require that civil detainees—including immigration detainees—receive prompt, adequate, and professional medical care. Failure to do so can amount to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. Advocates say Kuya G’s case shows how delays and substandard care in detention can produce irreversible harm. They called on U.S. oversight bodies and diplomatic missions to act immediately to prevent further harm to detained people. (RTS)