Metro Surge detainee misses surgery, health worsens in ICE custody
A Minnesota woman detained during a Metro Surge immigration enforcement action missed a scheduled surgical procedure this week while in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, and advocates say her health has since worsened.
Family members and immigrant-rights groups say ICE denied or delayed permission for the medical transport and that the woman's condition deteriorated after the missed operation. Her lawyers are pressing for immediate medical care and for her release on health grounds.
The episode traces back to a recent Metro Surge round of arrests in the Twin Cities area that placed several people into federal custody. Advocates say those detained with urgent medical needs have repeatedly faced slow access to outside specialists and procedures while under ICE supervision.
Lawyers and advocates call the case part of a broader pattern of alleged delays and denials of care in detention. They say officials must act quickly to prevent further harm and to ensure detainees get scheduled, court-ordered, or medically necessary procedures.
📌 Key Facts
- Andrea Pedro‑Francisco was arrested by ICE in Minnesota during Operation Metro Surge in February, six days before a scheduled surgery to remove an ovarian cyst in the Twin Cities.
- She is now detained at the El Paso Detention Center; visitors report worsening pain and say she has only been given Tylenol and constipation medication.
- ICE acknowledges she has a cyst and says she has been seen seven times by medical staff, including one ER visit, while a Minnesota immigration attorney and state legislators argue she should be granted humanitarian parole.
- Pedro‑Francisco has an active asylum case, no criminal record and no pending charges.
- ICE has reported at least 17 immigrant deaths in its custody this year, and a U.S. House bill to define standards for humanitarian release has not advanced.
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