Emiliano Andrade-Covarrubias had medication with him when he was detained, his daughter says. He had a heart condition, diabetes, and high blood pressure. During his confinement at the Rio Grande Processing Center in Laredo, staff would not give him his medication, Estefani Andrade told The Texas Tribune. On October 17, the 56-year-old father of three was found unresponsive in his cell and died in ICE custody.
Detention placed Emiliano’s access to treatment under the control of the people holding him. He could not leave to collect a prescription or visit his own doctor. His daughter’s account demands an examination of who controlled his medication and what they did with it. GEO Group, which operates the facility, lists medical services among its responsibilities and identifies ICE as a client. Providing care was part of its responsibility for the people it confined.
Emiliano had spent decades in Dallas, working as a contractor painting apartments and townhomes. He had three adult children and was building a house in Mexico, where he hoped eventually to return. His daughter said he was detained at the border in June while returning from Mexico by bus. She noticed his weight loss during video calls while he remained in detention.
After his death, Estefani said federal agencies had still not contacted the family. They learned he was dead through the Webb County Medical Examiner, which was performing his autopsy. The family planned to visit the detention center to collect his belongings.
Rep. Henry Cuellar visited the facility and told the Laredo Morning Times he would request information about Emiliano’s final 72 hours and whether he had sought medical services. The cause of death had not been established in the reporting reviewed. The examination must establish what medication staff received, what they administered, what symptoms Emiliano reported, and how they responded. Describing the facility’s available medical services does not answer what care Emiliano actually received.
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Bastards.