AZ Briefing: ICE disputes health claims about woman in custody in AZ

Read in browserPLAY  |    Shopping   |   eNewspaper AZ BriefingYOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUPTue Dec 30 2025 David Ulloa Jr
Immigration Reporter@davidulloa_iiIt has been 10 months since Arbella “Yari” Rodríguez Márquez was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Eloy Detention Center, and her physical health is still disputed by ICE and activists calling for her release for medical treatment.Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., and Sonia Almaraz, Márquez’ life partner, said Márquez’ lymphocytic leukemia has returned because of her rapidly declining health. Ansari and Almaraz said they have seen Márquez cough and vomit blood during their recent visits.ICE said Márquez is lying.”Arbella Rodriguez Márquez is a criminal, illegal alien from Mexico who is falsely claiming to have lymphocytic leukemia. Márquez has been seen by a medical professional, including an oncologist, at least 13 times at Eloy Detention Facility,” Fernando X. Burgos Ortiz, an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations spokesman, said in an email statement.Ansari, Almaraz, and activists from various organizations have demanded that Márquez be released on bond with an ankle monitor.”Stop with the excuses!” Ansari said. “I am demanding that my constituent, Yari, be released so she can get the proper medical care that she needs with an ankle monitor, whatever it takes.”Christmas apart:  How one woman is handling the holidays after ICE detained her partnerConflicting details on Márquez’ immigration caseBurgos said Márquez was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in 2025 “for attempting to smuggle an illegal alien with fraudulent identification in her vehicle through the Nogales, Arizona, port of entry.”Márquez was a legal permanent resident until she was detained on Feb. 10.Permanent residency can only be removed if it is determined that the person was not eligible for permanent residency, according to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.The Arizona Republic reached out to Almaraz for the contact information of Márquez’ attorney.Márquez told The Republic her attorney did not want to comment on the case, nor did the attorney want the public to know he was representing Márquez. The Republic was unable to obtain the name of Márquez’ attorney.Almaraz was in the car with Márquez when she was detained, The Republic previously reported.”Regardless of what ICE says, Yari was arrested for our focus is on getting her the treatment that she deserves. No one should have to die as a result of medical negligence,” Almaraz said in a written statement in response to the charge.Activists claim Márquez’ health is rapidly deterioratingAnsari and Almaraz said Márquez needs assistance to dress herself and walk to the cafeteria.”Every single time I visit her, I have to wait for her to sit down, and wait when she has to get up because it hurts. Her feet are completely swollen,” Almaraz said in a Dec. 22 interview.Almaraz said the only medicines Márquez had received were Advil, Tylenol and medicines to treat a stomach ulcer.Márquez has never suffered from stomach ulcers, Almaraz said.Burgos Ortiz said Márquez told law enforcement she did not have any medical conditions and she was not taking any medication. He called it a “disgusting attempt to lie to the public.””ICE provides comprehensive medical care from the moment an alien enters ICE custody,” Burgos Ortiz said. “This includes medical, dental, and mental health intake screening within 12 hours of arriving at each detention facility; a full health assessment within 14 days of entering ICE custody or arriving at an ICE facility; and access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care.”During her recent visit on Dec. 19, Ansari said Márquez told her she went numb in her thumb.Márquez’ legs, hands and fingers have also become “completely swollen,” Almaraz said.”Ms. Márquez had been managing for chronic lymphocytic leukemia pretty well until she was detained. Sickness is like these come back. The lack of nutritious foods, chlorinated water, and proper treatment is what has gotten her to this point,” Ansari said at a Dec. 29 press conference held outside the Phoenix ICE Field Office.CoreCivic defends its health care at Eloy centerCoreCivic takes seriously its obligation to “to all applicable federal detention standards” in its ICE-contracted facilities, including the Eloy Detention Center, said Brian Todd, a public affairs manager for CoreCivic.CoreCivic is a private detention company that is under contract with ICE to run facilities such as Eloy Detention Center and the CCA Correctional Center.”All our immigration facilities operate with a significant amount of oversight and accountability, including being monitored by ICE officials on a daily basis, to ensure an appropriate standard of living and care for every detainee. EDC (Eloy Detention Center), as with all our immigration facilities, is audited regularly and without notice several times a year, and routinely visited by elected officials, attorneys, families and volunteers,” Todd said.Todd said CoreCivic is proud of its “dedicated team” at the Eloy Detention Center, “who work hard every day to keep those in our care safe while providing for their needs as they progress through the civil immigration process.””It’s very alarming to me to hear so many conflicting messages from ICE and the people who work inside Eloy from, ‘She’s not sick, to this is just a side effect, to you know she’s lying to we’re treating her.’ Like, which is it? Is she sick or is she not sick?” Ansari said.Ansari said Márquez is very sick and their demand is clear. They want ICE to “just release her” with an ankle monitor “so that she can get the treatment she needs. This isn’t even a demand about her immigration case. The demand is around the medical care that she receives,” Ansari said.Have any news tips or story ideas about immigration and the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona? Reach the reporter at david.ulloa@usatodayco.com.  Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @davidulloa_ii.TOP STORIESSuns stay hot on the road, defeat WizardsThe Phoenix Suns have won four straight and five of their last six. Their road trip concludes Dec. 31 in Cleveland.READ MORE Gunfire erupts in Scottsdale neighborhood; Man arrested Scottsdale police said a 27-year-old man was booked into a Maricopa County jail after shots were fired out of his home on Dec. 28.READ MORE These 31 national restaurant chains debuted in 2025 Hundreds of new restaurants opened in metro Phoenix in 2025, including over 30 national and international chains that made their Valley debuts.READ MORE Former Phoenix Suns coach sells Paradise Valley mansion Features of the priciest metro Phoenix homes to sell include a car carousel, a roof deck and a 5,000-bottle wine cellar.READ MORE Rio Verde Foothills ends water woes. What’s the bill? At long last, Rio Verde Foothills has an operating standpipe — and the desert community’s water crisis has come to a close.READ MORESign up for breaking news alerts and get real-time updates directly to your inbox.SIGN UP NOWGet world news FREESign up to receive GlobalPost, the leading daily newsletter devoted to world news. It’s free with your subscription.GET GLOBAL NEWS FREEPlay Your Way to a Relaxing BreakUnwind with crosswords and challenges that recharge you. USA TODAY PLAYCrosswords, Puzzles, Comics & HoroscopesSEE ALL GAMESNewsletters   |    eNewspaper   |   CrosswordsFollow UsProblem viewing email? View in browserUnsubscribe  •   Manage Newsletters  •  Terms of Service  •  Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights  •  Privacy Notice  •  Do Not Sell My Info/Cookie Policy  •  Feedback 

Leave a Comment