Yasmin Juarez from Guatemala, whose daughter died six weeks after they were released from a detention center in Texas, has filed a lawsuit for wrongful causing of the death of her child, demanding from the US government $60 million.
20-year-old mother and her 19-month-old daughter Maria was detained in March after they came from Guatemala to go to the USA. According to the lawyers Juarez during their arrest Mary had a cough, and the temperature rose to 40°C.
When her disease progressed, she was sent to the ICU, but only prescribe medication that have not helped, the defense is claiming. After 3 weeks, when the mother and child were released from the detention center in Dilley, Marie had to be hospitalized. In the end, the doctors were unable to save the baby. On 10 may, she died from viral pneumonia.
«Maria died only a few months before his second birthday, because ICE and other accused of poor care, failed to provide basic medical care when her condition deteriorated rapidly and her mother Yasmin begged for help,» said lawyer R. Stanton Jones of the law firm Arnold & Porter representing the family of Marie.
The defense claims that the centre has released a mother and daughter when it became obvious that the girl is seriously ill.
«The US government was obliged to provide this little girl a safe, sanitary conditions and adequate medical care, but they failed to do that led to tragic consequences,» said lawyer R. Stanton Jones.
This is not the first complaint about the provision of health care in the detention centre. Earlier, the defence claimed that the detention of families is detrimental to their mental health.
«ICE takes very seriously the health, safety and welfare of those who are in our custody,» reads the statement by the press Secretary of Department Jennifer Elzea.
