Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA – The ACLU is again suing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Pennsylvania federal court, this time over records relating to the death of a Cambodian immigrant who was held at the Philadelphia Federal Detention Center.
Parady La died Jan. 9 – three days after ICE took him from his Upper Darby residence. The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania asked for documents that describe, refer or relate to La, and its April 23 lawsuit says it never received a response.
It’s the same story told in a lawsuit earlier this month over records relating to “unmasking subpoenas” – demands for information from websites like Reddit that seek to discover the identities of posters critical of ICE’s actions.
“No legal basis exists for ICE and (the Bureau of Prisons’) failure to timely search for and release responsive agency records in compliance with FOIA’ time limits,” the suit says.
ICE’s records say La, 46, snorted fentanyl and tranquilizers on a daily basis and experienced severe withdrawal symptoms. He had recently enrolled in an opioid treatment program.
On Jan. 7 he was distressed and vomiting, then was later found unresponsive and without a pulse. CPR and naloxone were administered, and he was sent to Thomas Jefferson Hospital. However, he’d experienced a brain injury and multi-organ failure, leading to his death on Jan. 9.
The ACLU held a press conference with his family and others a month later to demand accountability. “If the agencies fail to act in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, we will see them in court,” ACLU-PA fellowship attorney Victoria Pena-Parr declared.
La came to Philadelphia in the 1980s. His family members were refugees from the Vietnam War.
The FOIA request seeks medical care records, the autopsy report, witness statements, correspondence between agencies concerning La, videos and photographs, among other things.
