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The 48-year-old East Palo Alto woman who was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Monday morning remained in Stanford Hospital on Aug. 29 after days of treatment for a blood condition exacerbated by stress, according to the San Mateo County Rapid Response Network.
Local advocates have been concerned about the woman’s treatment after the hospital denied her visits and contact with her family, who were only briefly allowed to see her on Monday, according to Michelle de Blank, attorney with the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County.
De Blank is not representing the woman and did not specifically ask to enter the woman’s hospital room, she said on Monday.
“The push for last night was to allow the family members to be with her, because she’s sick, so my priority was for health and well being,” De Blank said on Monday.
The woman, an East Palo Alto mother, fainted during her arrest after she was pulled out of her car by multiple federal agents and carried to their vehicle, according to a rapid response network volunteer. Her family launched a Gofundme page, which identifies her as Aleyda. They raised more than $17,000 by Friday afternoon.
“On Monday morning, my mom was taken by individuals who appeared to be immigration agents but had no identification,” states a post on the page, which is purportedly from her daughter. “In the process, she fainted from fear and stress. Despite my dad begging them to stop because she is sick, they drove away with her unconscious.”
According to the fundraiser post, Aleyda has thrombocytopenia, a medical condition that makes stressful situations “dangerous” for the woman’s health.
People with thrombocytopenia have a low blood platelet count and may have trouble stopping bleeding outside or underneath their skin, according to the National Institutes of Health. Due to the risk of bleeding, people with the condition should avoid any strenuous activity.
“I am asking for help during one of the hardest times of my life,” the post stated.
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Please update this story. I was just at a protest near Stanford Hospital (Tuesday 5:30 pm), where this woman’s doctor spoke. On Friday evening, too late for media attention and too late for proper legal processing, Stanford Hospital released her, barely able to walk, and ICE immediately took her to detention in Bakersfield. No provision was made for continuing medical care despite her poor condition.
According to the doctor, masked ICE agents were allowed to freely roam the hospital, intimidating everyone, and repeatedly requiring ID from every healthcare worker near the patient. Her family was not allowed to see her. Her lawyer was not allowed to see her. Stanford Health Care just let ICE do whatever they wanted, then they dumped this patient.
I am appalled. If I need care and have any choice, I don’t think I will be visiting this hospital. Healthcare should come with some level of ethics. Don’t they swear to do no harm?