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ALVARADO, Texas - Relatives and attorneys for an undocumented immigrant detained in North Texas claim she is being denied proper health care for a possible brain tumor.
The woman from El Salvador was seeking asylum but was recently ordered deported. The attorneys say she told them doctors diagnosed her last week. Amnesty International is now involved.
26-year-old Sara Beltran-Hernandez is being held by ICE at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado. She told her attorney last week that she had been diagnosed with a brain tumor, was in pain and needed surgery.
ICE says Beltran-Hernandez was caught coming into the country illegally in 2015 and was ordered deported by an immigration judge four weeks ago.
According to her attorney, The Salvadoran woman had been seeking asylum for because of domestic violence allegations and other threats to her safety. Her attorneys have been critical of her treatment while in custody and have demanded her release based on her medical condition.
Dallas attorney Chris Hamilton says he was asked by Amnesty International to represent Beltran-Hernandez and showed up at the Prairieland Detention Center Wednesday evening after visiting hours. He told officials there considering his client's diagnosis, his need to meet with her was urgent.
"The ICE Detention Center called the police last night and claimed that we were trespassing at the ICE Detention Facility when a lawyer requested access to a client with a brain tumor in an emergency medical condition," Hamilton said.
In a statement, ICE said, "Like all detainees in our care, Ms. Beltran will continue to have access to 24-hour emergency medical care and access to any required specialized treatment at an outside facility."
According to the statement, she was admitted to Texas Health Huguley Hospital almost two weeks ago. On Wednesday after a doctor determined she was stable, she was brought back to the detention center and will see a specialist about her treatment.