Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

The death last year of Hiu Lui Ng while he was in the custody of the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls, should push Congress to prioritize the need for better health services for immigration detainees, said the American Civil Liberties Union, in Washington, and its Rhode Island affiliate.

Ng, a 34-year-old Chinese national, died several days after he was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer and a broken spine. His family has filed a civil suit.

The national ACLU and the RI ACLU cited that case in a statement praising the hearing held earlier today by the Homeland Security Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, on health services for immigration detainees.

"Mr. Ng's case of medical abuse should have sounded an alarm that our health services for immigration detention are badly broken," said Steven Brown, executive director of the ACLU affiliate. "Unfortunately, Mr. Ng was just one of over 80 deaths in a system that undermines American values of fairness and dignity."

Brown urged Congress to ask officials of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement "what steps they can take to prevent another incident such as Mr. Ng's case from occurring in the future."

The ACLU in Washington said, "This welcome hearing highlights the need for the Department of Homeland Security to prioritize fixing this broken medical care system in its fiscal year 2010 budget."

ACLU spokeswoman Linda Paris said the hearing included testimony by several ICE officials. She said Ng's death was not mentioned at the hearing.

 Tags  D.C. Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility Hiu Lui Ng immigration Washington

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