Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) did not properly document the medical necessity of many major medical procedures, including at least two hysterectomies, a government watchdog investigation found.
The Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General (OIG) launched an investigation after a member of Congress raised concerns about the whistleblower allegations. “Massive hysterectomy” committed against detainees without their consent.
The whistleblower's claims, first published in 2020, accused a doctor of being a “uterus harvester” and called a facility an “experimental concentration camp”, sparking widespread outrage.
DHS O.I.G. We looked at 533 major surgical procedures performed between 2019 and 2021.
Former FBI official warns Congress of 'new and imminent' border dangers
If ICE facility staff determines that off-site care is necessary, they will create an approved referral. If the provider recommends surgery, another approval will be required, which must be approved by the regional clinical director or her IHSC physician who is the clinical director. To ensure medical necessity.
The flight operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement brought Venezuelans back to Venezuela on October 18, 2023, becoming the first flight to resume repatriation of Venezuelans who entered the United States illegally. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)
The watchdog found that between 137 and 214 surgeries did not have the necessary approval from those in charge. This means that ICE's health services force cannot be sure that all major surgeries are medically necessary.
Additionally, the OIG contracted with obstetricians and gynecologists (OB/GYNs) to determine the need for surgery.
“For two of the six hysterectomies performed, our contracted obstetricians and gynecologists concluded that the IHSC medical files of the detained non-citizens indicated that the hysterectomies were medically necessary. “We concluded that no supporting documentation was included,” the OIG found.
It stressed that the study was limited to six surgeries and the conclusions “cannot be extrapolated to large surgical populations.”
Migrant crisis sets new record with 302,000 people encountered in December, officials admit
The investigation found that surgeries were not always approved and reviewed because the guidance was vague and did not include clearly defined requirements. As a result, some approvals were given via email or verbally without going through the proper process. IHSC has since implemented a policy requiring all procedures to be reviewed and approved through the appropriate system recommended by the OIG.
ICE said in a statement to Fox: “We continue to work to ensure that all people in our custody receive appropriate medical care and are treated with respect and dignity.”
He agreed with the report and pointed to IHSC's latest policy.
“IHSC's current policy requires regional clinical directors and clinical directors to document the review and approval of major surgical procedures in IHSC's electronic health record system. Major surgical procedures already require prior approval review and approval documentation by either the clinical director, regional clinical director, director, or his/her designee under the Directive issued on December 19, 2022. said the spokesperson.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The report comes as the United States continues to grapple with a crisis at its southern border and a record 302,000 encounters in December. The administration is seeking more funding for ICE detention beds as part of an additional funding package. The deal is on hold as Republicans call for restrictions on asylum and parole.
