Illegal immigrant blames 'broken system' for husband's death

Standard-Times ^ | November 02, 2007 6:00 AM | BECKY W. EVANS

[dennisw]

Illegal immigrant blames 'broken system' for husband's death

November 02, 2007 6:00 AM NEW BEDFORD — After his second deportation to Guatemala, Ricardo Gomez Garcia made yet another perilous journey across the U.S. border to reunite with his wife and autistic son following their six-month separation.

Within 24 hours of arriving home to his city apartment, the 40-year-old illegal immigrant died at St. Luke's Hospital.

His widow is questioning whether his death is related to inadequate medical treatment he received at an El Paso, Texas, detention center, where he was held for six months after being arrested in the March 6 federal immigration raid at the Michael Bianco factory.

"His needs were not looked after in El Paso," said Juana, his wife of 20 years.

(The Standard-Times is using a pseudonym for Mr. Garcia's wife to protect the undocumented worker from possible repercussions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. Juana, a Mayan woman from Guatemala, spoke to a reporter in Spanish through an interpreter.)

ICE removed Mr. Garcia from the country on Aug. 30, agency spokesman Mike Gilhooly said.

After visiting with family members in Guatemala, Mr. Garcia hired a "coyote," or local guide, for $5,000 and began his trip north on Oct. 10, Juana said.

He arrived in this city early Sunday morning and was greeted by Juana and the couple's 4-year-old son, Mauricio. The child is a U.S. citizen who has been diagnosed with autism.

"He was very, very happy to see his son and play with him," Juana said.

The 36-year-old said her husband developed a fever that evening and complained of a headache and sore throat.

"He just seemed so tired," she said.

When his condition worsened, family members called an ambulance. Mr. Garcia died in the St. Luke's emergency room around 3 a.m. Monday, Juana said.

Terrel Harris, spokesman for the state Executive Office of Public Safety, said an autopsy showed the cause of Mr. Garcia's death was "acute airway obstruction" and the manner was "natural."

Juana said she believes her husband's death may be tied to health problems he developed while living at the El Paso detention center.

"I believe it was his time in jail," she said.

She said her husband was healthy while working double shifts at the Bianco factory, where he made backpacks and other military equipment for U.S. troops. After being sent to Texas, he suffered headaches and a toothache from the stress of being jobless and separated from his family, she said.

Juana accused doctors at the detention center of waiting too long to treat her husband and not giving him proper medication.

Mr. Gilhooly, the ICE spokesman, said the agency "goes to great lengths to provide medical care to all individuals in ICE custody.

"We spend over $98 million in medical treatment for individuals in our custody and work with partners in our public health service to provide excellent medical care," he said.

Mr. Gilhooly was unable to provide The Standard-Times with any information regarding medical treatment Mr. Garcia may have received while in custody at the El Paso facility. He said he could not comment on Mr. Garcia's death because it occurred nearly two months after he had been deported to Guatemala.

"We have no medical knowledge of what the situation was after he left our custody," he said. "Though obviously he re-entered the country again, he wasn't in our custody when he passed away."

Shuya Ohno, spokesman for the Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition, said he has heard frequent reports of detainees receiving poor medical care at detention centers around the country.

"Individual detention centers are often inconsistent with how medicine is handled," he said. "There are often tremendous delays."

Local ICE detention centers have cooperated with the coalition, responding quickly when alerted to medical conditions that may have gone undiagnosed due to communication problems, he said.

Juana said her husband first came to the United States in 1994 after his brother was killed in Guatemala's bloody civil war. She later joined her husband, leaving their four children in the care of her mother. Mauricio, their fifth child, was born in the United States.

The couple has also lived in Portland, Maine, and Providence. Before the Bianco raid, they were able to send $400 to $500 per month back to Guatemala to pay school fees for their children, she said. After the raid, Juana lost her job at a city garment factory. She and her relatives are now trying to raise $4,000 to send Mr. Garcia's body back to Guatemala for burial.

Mr. Garcia's deportation to Guatemala in August was his second removal by ICE, Mr. Gilhooly said.

"He was first removed in March 2005," he said. "He re-entered and was removed again from Texas."

Mr. Garcia's prior removal hurt his chances to stay in the United States to care for his autistic son, said Ondine Galvez Sniffin, an immigration attorney with Catholic Social Services. Ms. Sniffin spoke with Mr. Garcia during a visit to the Texas detention center in April.

She noted that Mr. Garcia had a different attitude than many of the Bianco detainees who were tired and ready to go back to their home country.

"This man wasn't giving up," she said. "He was willing to stay as long as necessary to get reunited with his wife and child."

Mr. Garcia's health problems did not come up during her visit, she said.

"It was very early on, and I didn't know about his medical issues or I would have asked him about it," she said.

The MIRA Coalition urged ICE to release Mr. Garcia and nine other Bianco detainees for humanitarian reasons, Mr. Ohno said.

Despite paying a Rhode Island attorney $2,100, Mr. Garcia lost his case to stay in the country, Juana said. She said her husband came back to the United States because of Mauricio, who requires special schooling and frequently attends therapy sessions in Boston.

Since her husband's death, Juana and her son have been staying with relatives to avoid the memories that linger in their apartment. Though she misses her children in Guatemala, Juana said she must stay in the United States, where Mauricio has better access to medical care.

"This is just another example of how families are suffering from a broken (immigration) system," Mr. Ohno said.

Contributions for Mr. Garcia's burial and his family can be sent to Catholic Social Services, 238 Bonney St., New Bedford, MA 02744.

Contact Becky W. Evans at revans@s-t.com

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[dennisw]

PETER PEREIRA/The Standard Times Juana reads an old letter from her deceased husband, Ricardo Gomez Garcia, while her son, Mauricio, plays near the window. Mr. Garcia was one of the 361 illegal immigrants who were detained during a raid on Michael Bianco Inc. in March and was deported to Guatemala on Aug. 30. He re-entered this country illegally and finally returned to his home in New Bedford Sunday morning, but died in St. Luke’s Hospital’s emergency room Monday. Juana is now trying to raise $4,000 to send her husband’s body back to Guatemala for burial.

[phrogphlyer]

If we had never let him across the border he would have died somewhere else. That would have been our fault too.

[DoughtyOne]

I don’t expect the illegal immigrant to be honest enough to admit to the situation they created for themselves. It just grates me to see U.S. citizens buy into their dilusion.

[JoeGar]

Mr. Garcia's deportation to Guatemala in August was his second removal by ICE

A good rule: Three strikes and you're out -- permanently.

[Onelifetogive]

yet another perilous journey across the U.S. border to reunite with his wife and autistic son

This is insane. People with autistic sons shouldn't have to obey our laws...

</sarcasm>

[Onelifetogive]

She said her husband was healthy while working double shifts at the Bianco factory...

Do you suppose he was the only one?

[NonValueAdded]

After being sent to Texas, he suffered headaches and a toothache from the stress of being jobless and separated from his family, she said.

So that's what causes them. Who knew?

[teenyelliott]

You get what you pay for.

[ASOC]

Raise a couple of extra bucks and go home to your family im Central America, no welfare or food stamps I know, but isn’t family more important? Let the kids meet and grow up with his grandparents, uncles, etc.

Also
“(The Standard-Times is using a pseudonym for Mr. Garcia’s wife to protect the undocumented worker from possible repercussions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. Juana, a Mayan woman from Guatemala, spoke to a reporter in Spanish through an interpreter.)”
The paper is aiding and abetting a criminal......reporting should be talking to a judge.

Yes, I *am* just that heartless.

[teenyelliott]

omg

How stupid.

[doodad]

How can a system that does not allow for your existence be broken? Go away.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

After his second deportation to Guatemala, Ricardo Gomez Garcia made yet another perilous journey across the U.S. border to reunite with his wife and autistic son following their six-month separation.

Build a patrolled, well-maintained border fence and Mr. Gomez would have either entered the US by legal, safe means or stayed in Guatemala, hopefully working to improve life in that nation.

[upsdriver]

>>>>Mr. Gilhooly, the ICE spokesman, said the agency “goes to great lengths to provide medical care to all individuals in ICE custody.

“We spend over $98 million in medical treatment for individuals in our custody and work with partners in our public health service to provide excellent medical care,” he said.<<<<<

He seems proud of that. Personally, I would use the Red Foreman method. A boot to the ass.

[navyguy]

“Juana said her husband first came to the United States in 1994 after his brother was killed in Guatemala’s bloody civil war. She later joined her husband, leaving their four children in the care of her mother.”

Wait a freakin second... I thought sending them BACK is what broke up their families?

[Gay State Conservative]

The paper is aiding and abetting a criminal......reporting should be talking to a judge.

God...that's a funny one.Imagine,a Massachusetts judge taking steps to have an illegal deported...or taking steps to punish someone who aids and abets a person violating Federal immigration laws!

[keepitreal]

The only part of the system that is broken is the part that allows your son to be a US citizen when you and your husband entered here illegally. None of you should be able to benefit from illegal actions.

[umgud]

His widow is questioning whether his death is related to inadequate medical treatment he received at an El Paso, Texas, detention center........

After she sues, we'll probably need to start sending all ill illgeals to the Mayo Clinic for adequate care.

[donna]

Why wasn’t she deported?

[SShultz460]

re-entering the country should be a capital offense like it used to be