Federal immigration officials Wednesday refuted allegations that a Westlake man who died in custody last month was denied medical care, saying he was transferred to a hospital after he reported feeling ill while being held in Adelanto.
Alberto Gutierrez Reyes, 48, died Feb. 27 at Victor Valley Global Medical Center in Victorville, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
ICE officials, who said Gutierrez Reyes reported no significant health concerns when he was brought to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center on Jan. 12, reported feeling faint on Feb. 25.
“An on-site medical provider ordered him transferred to Victor Valley Global Medical Center for evaluation, where he was admitted for chest pain and shortness of breath,” according to a statement from ICE on Wednesday. “Early Feb. 27, he became unresponsive and medical staff-initiated life-saving measures. He was pronounced dead at 12:58 a.m.”
ICE officials insisted in the statement that the agency “is committed to ensuring that all those in custody reside in safe, secure and humane environments.”
“Comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment individuals arrive and throughout the entirety of their stay,” according to ICE. “All people in ICE custody receive medical, dental and mental health intake screenings within 12 hours of arriving at each detention facility; a full health assessment within 14 days of entering ICE custody or arrival at a facility; access to medical appointments; and 24-hour emergency care. At no time during detention is a detained alien denied emergency care.
“This is the best healthcare than many aliens have received in their entire lives.”
Critics, however, contend that Gutierrez Reyes was denied medical attention. A GoFundMe page established on behalf of his family contends that he began to feel seriously, and “despite his repeated requests for medical attention, he was denied the care he desperately needed.”
His wife, Patricia Martinez Hernandez, told ABC7 her husband had diabetes and high cholesterol, but he received no medication.
“He would say that he wasn’t feeling well. He wasn’t feeling well,” she said. “When my son went to go see him Sunday, my son goes every Sunday, he would tell me, `Mom, dad’s skin is yellow. His face is yellow.’ Last week, the Sunday before, he told me, `Mom, his eyes are yellow.'”
Los Angeles City Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez said in a social media post over the weekend that Gutierrez Reyes is the ninth person known to have died in ICE custody this year. She contended he had been “denied medical care.”
“The Trump administration does not value human life,” Hernandez wrote. “They are using our federal tax dollars to bankroll detention and a deadly deportation machine instead of funding healthcare, food, housing, education, and the systems that actually keep people alive.
A system rooted in white supremacy and designed to cage, torture, neglect, and dehumanize human beings cannot be reformed. It must be abolished.”
Gutierrez Reyes was arrested Jan. 9 during an immigration enforcement operation in Echo Park.
According to ICE, “Gutierrez entered the United States at an unknown date and location without inspection. Gutierrez was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department March 25, 2010, for inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant. He was convicted March 29, 2010, and sentenced to diversion.”
The GoFundMe page states that he was “a devoted husband, a loving father and the main source of support for his family.”
“Alberto’s family is now left to navigate this heartbreaking time without the person they depended on most,” according to the page. “The sudden loss has brought not only emotional pain but also financial hardship, as Alberto was the sole provider for his wife and son. We are raising funds to help cover his funeral expenses and to support his family as they try to manage the many challenges ahead.”
The page — www.gofundme.com/f/justice-for-alberto-gutierrez — had raised just more than $11,000 as of Wednesday morning.