Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the Mexican Consulate in Portland on Friday, calling for action to help a Vancouver man currently detained in an immigration facility in Louisiana.
Protest organizers said the man, Jose Cruz-Morales, has developed a bacterial stomach infection while in custody and urgently needs medical treatment.
Cruz-Morales, originally from Oaxaca, Mexico, has lived in the United States for about 20 years. Advocates said he was first detained in July and was later deported to Mexico in January. With assistance from community groups and attorneys, he was returned to the U.S. about a month later but remains in detention in Louisiana.
Activists said Cruz-Morales had previously suffered broken ribs and claim he did not receive proper medical care while in custody. They now fear his condition could worsen without immediate treatment.
The rally was organized by groups including Defend Migrants Alliance Oregon and International Migrants Alliance Pacific Northwest. Protesters urged the consulate to intervene and push for Cruz-Morales to receive medical care and be released from detention.
Advocates say his situation highlights broader concerns about medical care in immigration detention facilities operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Last year, a U.S. Senate investigation led by Jon Ossoff reported dozens of credible cases of medical neglect involving detainees, some resulting in serious health complications.
As of Friday evening, officials from the Mexican Consulate and ICE had not publicly responded to requests for comment about the case.
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