Cancer Survivor Hospitalized Three Times in ICE Custody, Records Show
Summary
Katsiaryna Bartko, a 33-year-old Belarusian cancer survivor, was hospitalized three times in four days while in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in Kansas. She requires daily medication after thyroid cancer surgery, and there are concerns about whether she is receiving proper medical care during detention.Key Facts
- Katsiaryna Bartko is a Belarusian asylum seeker held at the Midwest Regional Reception Center in Leavenworth, Kansas, since June 19.
- She has undergone thyroid cancer surgery, which requires her to take daily hormone and calcium supplements for life.
- Bartko was hospitalized three times within four days due to critically low calcium levels and other health issues.
- Her partner claims she was initially denied some prescribed medication while in ICE custody.
- ICE and the detention center operator CoreCivic say Bartko is getting regular medical care and her health issues are being addressed.
- Bartko’s low calcium levels can cause serious problems like muscle spasms and heart issues if untreated.
- She was treated with intravenous calcium and diagnosed with additional infections and cysts during her hospital visits.
- The case raises broader concerns about medical care quality and access for detainees under the Trump administration’s expanded immigration enforcement.
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