Leukemia Patient Trapped in ICE Detention for 5 Months Without Treatment

Arbella Rodríguez Márquez, a legal U.S. resident battling chronic lymphocytic leukemia, has spent the past five months in an ICE detention center without proper medical care. Her health is rapidly declining, and her partner fears she may not survive.

A resident of Phoenix, Arbella has lived in the U.S. for 25 years and has no criminal record. Despite her legal status, she was arrested by ICE agents and is currently held at Eloy Detention Center — the largest ICE facility in the country, known for its troubling conditions.

Her partner, Sonia Almaraz, says Arbella’s condition has worsened significantly. “In the past five months, she has lost 55 pounds, her hands are swollen, and her health worsens every day inside the violent place,” Sonia shared. She described Arbella’s body as “beginning to collapse,” citing symptoms like swelling, bruises, blotchy skin, extreme fatigue, and severe dehydration.

Sonia says Arbella has been denied essential medical treatment and is being kept in a facility unfit for someone with such a serious condition. The couple was returning from a trip to Mexico when they were stopped at the Nogales border. Sonia, a U.S. citizen, said they were pulled from their vehicle and taken to an inspection point without explanation.

She described being “isolated in a cage for four hours” while unaware of what was happening to Arbella. For two days, Sonia had no information about her partner’s location until she received a call from the Eloy Detention Center.

“It’s devastating,” Sonia said. “You wouldn’t expect your own country to treat you like this.”

The Eloy facility has long been criticized by advocacy groups. Detention Watch Network has called it the “deadliest immigration detention center in the U.S.,” with 16 deaths and five suicides recorded. A 2024 report from the Florence Project further documented the prison’s unsanitary conditions, substandard medical care, and the violation of women’s privacy.

With Arbella’s health rapidly declining and access to care still out of reach, her partner and advocates are pleading for her release before it’s too late.

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