A Venezuelan asylum seeker claims U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents broke her knee during an arrest, disputing the agency's assertion that her injuries resulted from a car crash. Medical records appear to support her account.
The allegations raise concerns about the tactics used by ICE agents and the adequacy of medical care provided to detainees, potentially impacting civil rights and public health within immigration detention facilities.
A Venezuelan asylum seeker, Yerlys Moreno López, has submitted a sworn statement alleging that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents broke her knee during an incident on May 19. Her account contradicts ICE's claim that her injuries, which required emergency surgery, were sustained during a car chase and crash. Medical records appear to support Moreno López's assertion that she was injured after exiting her vehicle when agents tackled her.
According to her statement, agents attempted to pull her over, leading to a crash where she hit a parked car. She states that after exiting her SUV, two ICE agents tackled her, with one allegedly grabbing her hair and pulling her shirt. Doctors' notes indicate she told hospital staff she was injured when "tackled to the ground" and hit her knees and arm on the concrete. Her injuries reportedly include a fractured kneecap, a laceration requiring eight stitches, a forearm scrape, head trauma, and bruises.
Moreno López and another migrant, Mohamd Salim Abdessamed, who was also reportedly injured after an ICE car chase, received treatment at Detroit-area hospitals. Attorneys for Moreno López have filed a habeas corpus petition, seeking her release from the North Lake detention center. They argue that the facility provides "subpar medical care" and that she will suffer irreparable harm if returned there. ICE attorneys contend there is no evidence of inadequate medical care at North Lake, which is operated by GEO Group.
Pick the topics you care about. Get only what matters, on your cadence.