The Government of Mexico has promptly followed up on complaints of medical malpractice, particularly regarding presumed hysterectomies carried out without consent at the Irwin County immigration detention center in Georgia, under the responsibility of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE).
The Consulate General of Mexico in Atlanta has been in constant communication with Mexican nationals. Since September 14, the date on which the complaint for medical malpractice and unnecessary surgical procedures was filed, twenty-one Mexican female citizens have been detained in said immigration center. Consular personnel have established direct contact, in person or remotely, with eighteen of them. To this day, fifteen Mexican women remain in the center.
Consul General Javier Díaz de León, accompanied by consular personnel, made a visit to the detention center on September 23, in order to meet in person with the Mexican citizens. None of the interviewees stated to have had undergone a hysterectomy, without denying the possibility that they had been victims of bad practices for different reasons. Likewise, five of them, and two more who are in Mexico, reported having had interactions with the doctor linked to the surgical procedures.
It is important to note that a Mexican citizen located after her return to Mexico underwent a surgical procedure in Irwin, Georgia. Once she reached Mexican territory, her doctor confirmed that a hysterectomy was not performed. On the other hand, a fellow countrywoman who remains in Irwin, and who was interviewed during the September 23 visit, underwent a gynecological surgery. In collaboration with the Emory University School of Medicine, her medical record was reviewed and it was determined that a hysterectomy was not performed. However, the medical record provided by ICE does not include documentation supporting the consent of the Mexican national for said surgical intervention.
All cases of surgical intervention, as well as the complaints received from Mexican citizens, are under careful examination in order to determine if said medical procedures were performed properly and with the full consent of Mexican citizens. In addition, the Ministry of Foreign Relations has sent a diplomatic note to the United States Government in order to clarify the situation, requesting information on the medical care measures that both male and female Mexican citizens receive in said detention center.
The Consulate General of Mexico in Atlanta will continue to closely monitor the situation of our fellow nationals, ensuring the protection of the human rights of all detainees. Likewise, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is locating other Mexican citizens who could have been affected by these measures. To anyone who considers that they or their family members have been victims of some violation of their human rights, the General Directorate for the Protection of Mexicans Abroad makes the following numbers abroad and in our country available:
- General Directorate for the Protection of Mexicans Abroad: +52 (55) 3686 5880
- Consulate General of Mexico in Atlanta: (404) 625 1706
The Government of Mexico reiterates its commitment to the protection of Mexicans abroad, as well as its intention to use all diplomatic and legal resources at its disposal to fulfill this purpose.