Federal Agents Detain Kidney Transplant Recipient Amid Medication Crisis
Federal agents in Minnesota apprehended a kidney transplant recipient, Javier Abreu-Vasquez, while he was delivering groceries for a church mutual aid initiative. His wife and a state lawmaker reported that agents rammed his vehicle during the arrest.
Abreu-Vasquez, who is 38 years old and originally from the Dominican Republic, was taken into custody without access to his essential medication. He is reportedly being transferred to a detention facility in Texas, where concerns about his ability to receive necessary anti-rejection drugs have been raised, according to Minnesota state Representative Kim Hicks.
Hicks attempted to deliver the medication to the Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis following Abreu-Vasquez's arrest on Thursday but was denied entry without a doctor's note. “It’s alarming that he was denied access to life-saving medication,” Hicks stated.
While Abreu-Vasquez managed to obtain his medication the following day, both Hicks and his wife expressed fears that without consistent access to his prescribed drugs, his body could reject the transplant. “This is a matter of life and death,” Hicks emphasized.
Homeland Security assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is aware of Abreu-Vasquez's medical situation. “ICE is coordinating with the family to ensure he receives all necessary medications,” she stated.
The circumstances surrounding his arrest remain murky, but it follows a series of similar detentions in the Minneapolis area, coinciding with an influx of over 3,000 federal officers deployed by the Trump administration to bolster immigration enforcement efforts.
“It feels like our basic human rights are being disregarded,” Hicks remarked. “Access to legal counsel and life-saving medication should be guaranteed.”
Witnesses reported that federal officers forcefully rammed into Abreu-Vasquez's car and shattered the window during the arrest. His family shared images from the scene, highlighting the aggressive nature of the operation.
Hicks noted that Abreu-Vasquez possesses an alien registration number, which is typically assigned to immigrants seeking legal status in the U.S.
McLaughlin defended ICE's medical care protocols, stating that comprehensive medical assessments are conducted within 12 hours of detention and that detainees have access to emergency care. “This is often the best healthcare many have received,” she claimed.
“I cannot comprehend why the federal government is targeting law-abiding Minnesotans and subjecting them to such violent arrests,” Hicks said. “What is the ultimate goal here?”
The Trump administration's Operation Metro Surge has led to over 3,000 arrests in just nine weeks, prompting numerous lawsuits alleging unlawful detentions and excessive force against immigrants and legal residents.
The Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, which houses immigration courts, is currently holding many individuals arrested during this operation. Reports from detainees describe deplorable conditions within the facility, which is ill-equipped for long-term detainment.
One former detainee recounted being shackled and confined in a locked bathroom with three men, lacking basic amenities like bedding or functional plumbing. Allegations of inadequate food provisions have also surfaced, with claims of receiving only one sandwich per day.
These disturbing accounts resonate with testimonies from immigrants detained in makeshift facilities across New York and Chicago as the administration intensifies its enforcement actions.
