Guatemalan man's leg nearly amputated from untreated infection in ICE custody
Jun 5, 2026·Location: Lumpkin, GA
Country of origin: Guatemala

A 48-year-old Guatemalan man detained at Stewart Detention Center suffered a severe E. coli infection in his leg after being injured while shackled in a transport vehicle and forced to sleep on a dirty concrete floor with leaking toilets. Medical staff did not adequately respond to his requests for help until he collapsed and required hospitalization; a doctor told him he narrowly escaped amputation. He was released in October 2025 as a legal permanent resident but struggles with lingering pain that prevents him from returning to construction work. The case is one of hundreds documented across at least 33 states where detainees allege medical neglect in ICE custody.
Sources
- washingtontimes.com
- Untreated Cancer, Festering Infections: Immigrant Detainees Detail Medical Care Lapses - KFF Health News
kffhealthnews.org·Jun 5, 2026·archived copy
- From Festering Infections To Untreated Cancer, ICE Detainees Across The US Describe Medical Neglect
HuffPost·Jun 2, 2026·archived copy
- From strokes to ignored HIV, ICE detainees describe medical negligence across the US
independent.co.uk·Jun 2, 2026·archived copy
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