ByBillal Rahman
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A Venezuelan asylum seeker being held in ICE custody in Georgia told Newsweekshe has not received treatment for polycystic ovary syndrome despite a doctor warning that interrupting her care could worsen her condition
Tangieth Paola Carrasquero Lopez, 23, said she sought help for abdominal pain after being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a scheduled immigration appointment in Atlanta on July 27. She told Newsweekthat although she was eventually given ibuprofen, she has not received treatment related to her underlying medical conditions while detained
“They give you some pain medicine and see if it helps you, but they don’t call you a doctor,” Carrasquero Lopez told Newsweek
A spokesperson at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Newsweekthat Carrasquero Lopez “denied having any medical needs, such as any pain, possible pregnancy, mental-health, or any other urgent needs” and “denied taking any medication” during her intake screening
The agency spokesperson added that Carrasquero Lopez later “tested positive for polycystic syndrome” and was placed on a chronic care list for an initial medical visit
…
Documents reviewed by Newsweekshow Carrasquero Lopez has been diagnosed with hepatic steatosis, obesity, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). A letter from a Georgia gastroenterologist, Arnaldo Jimenez, says that the conditions require ongoing monitoring and treatment and that Carrasquero Lopez had been receiving treatment with Tirzepatide before her detention
While Jimenez did not characterize the conditions as immediately life-threatening, he wrote that continuity of treatment was important to maintaining her health and warned that interruptions in care could negatively affect her weight management, metabolic health and PCOS symptoms
The doctor also requested that she be provided access to prescribed medication and medical care while in custody to help prevent complications and protect her overall health
“I respectfully request that her medical needs be taken into consideration and that she be provided with access to the necessary medical care and prescribed medication while she remains in custody, in order to help prevent complications and protect her overall health,” the doctor wrote
A DHS spokesperson said that Carrasquero Lopez was charged with driving without a license in Gwinnett County, Georgia, on June 14, 2023
Records reviewed by Newsweek show Carrasquero Lopez’s documented criminal history consists of traffic-related violations from a single 2023 incident in Georgia. According to court records, an initial charge of driving without a valid license was later reduced, while she ultimately pleaded guilty to traffic offenses including failing to have her driver’s license in her possession and driving without required headlights
A DHS spokesperson said that ICE provides medical, dental and mental-health screenings within 12 hours of a detainee’s arrival at a facility, conducts full health assessments within 14 days, and provides access to medical appointments and emergency care
Carrasquero Lopez is currently detained at the Irwin County Detention Center in Ocilla, Georgia
The facility drew national attention in 2020 after a whistleblower complaint alleged an unusually high number of hysterectomies and other medical abuses involving immigrant detainees. Subsequent investigations found no evidence of mass or unnecessary hysterectomies, though they documented excessive and often unnecessary gynecological procedures, inadequate informed consent, and serious deficiencies in medical care. A federal judge later stated that the evidence established there had been no mass or unusually high number of hysterectomies at the facility.
Carrasquero Lopez said she is concerned about the impact detention may be having on her health
“I worry a lot because the food they give you is pure carbohydrate,” she said. “The doctor told me that I couldn’t handle that, and that’s all I’m eating here.”
She said she has continued experiencing pain and remains uncertain about its cause
“I don’t know if the pain I have is due to something,” Carrasquero Lopez said. “I also have pain around here by my rib, but I don’t know what that is.”
“My arms are getting numb a lot and the pain in my leg worries me because that had never happened to me,” she said
Carrasquero Lopez’s partner, Andres, who requested his surname be withheld due to fear of reprisals,said she requested medication for abdominal pain shortly after arriving at the detention facility and has repeatedly expressed concerns about being unable to continue treatment for her existing medical conditions
The allegations come as immigrants in custody, attorneys and some progressive lawmakers point to inadequate medical carein U.S. detention facilities amid the Trump administration’s hard-line crackdown. Critics have argued that rising detention populations could place additional pressure on detainee healthcare systems, particularly for people with chronic or ongoing medical conditions
Federal officials and detention operators have maintained that detainees receive appropriate medical care and access to specialty treatment when medically necessary
Carrasquero Lopez entered the United States in 2021 and sought asylum, Andres said. He said she has continued attending required immigration appointments and that her asylum case remains pending
DHS said U.S. Customs and Border Protection encountered Carrasquero Lopez near San Luis, Arizona, on September 16, 2021, and that she was subsequently released into the United States by the Biden administration
Documents reviewed by Newsweek show she was granted Temporary Protected Status in 2024 and later received approval to work in the United States through 2030
“We don’t understand why they are detaining her,” Andres told Newsweek. “She went to every immigration appointment, she has a pending asylum case and no deportation order.”
Andres said Carrasquero Lopez had been preparing to begin a new chapter in her life before her detention
Documents reviewed by Newsweekshow she received a job offer on July 22 for a full-time Senior Helper position with a Georgia automation company paying $24 an hour. Separate records show she was scheduled to begin English-language classes at Gwinnett Technical College in August
Andres said he and Carrasquero Lopez have been together for nearly eight years
“Tangieth continues to experience significant emotional distress,” he said
DHS said Carrasquero Lopez will remain in ICE custody pending any removal proceedings and will receive “full due process.”
Contact Newsweek editors for this story: Matthew Robinson and Robert Greenall
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