A cousin of Prisciliano Trejo Ricano started a GoFundMe for funeral expenses

Prisciliano Trejo Ricano began feeling ill while detained at a Georgia detention center, where he had been for three weeks. He reported that he had not received medical attention after experiencing severe symptoms. The young man died on Friday, July 24.

A young Mexican man who lived in Durham and was in ICE custody died in a hospital in Augusta, Georgia, after developing an aggressive leukemia that quickly took his life.

Prisciliano Trejo Ricano began to feel ill while imprisoned in a detention center in Georgia, where he had been for three weeks and from where he reported not having received medical attention after presenting serious symptoms.

The 29-year-old man died on Friday, July 24 at 6:00 am, according to information provided to Enlace Latino NC  by a relative.

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“We know his family is now grieving. Prisciliano was a young man who came to the United States at the age of 3 and was detained on June 19. He had many medical difficulties while in detention and, despite advocating for access to medical care, he was denied until he could no longer endure it,” he told Enlace Latino NC  Stefania Arteaga, founding director of the organization Carolina Migrant Network.

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During the three weeks that Prisciliano was detained in Stewart, he became very ill and called and video-called his family daily to receive Emotional Support.

“During his stay there, he exhibited high levels of stress, depression, and physical illness. He shared with his family on several occasions that he felt unwell, that he was coughing up blood, that he had pain, and a bruise that wouldn’t heal,” a cousin of the young man wrote in a fundraising on GoFundMe for funeral expenses.

On July 16, his family received a call from his lawyer, who informed them that Prisciliano had been transferred to a hospital in Atlanta and was in the intensive care unit.

“The news devastated the family, and they all drove between four and five hours to get to the hospital where he was admitted. At first, the family couldn’t visit him because Prisciliano was still under ICE custodyBut eventually, the lawyers and ICE reached an agreement and managed to get him released from that custody,” the cousin wrote.

“It’s very difficult to see someone who almost never got sick and was in good health now intubated, connected to IV drugs and confined to a bed while fighting for their life,” he added.

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“Here they treat you like a number or a placeholder. For the next batch of people coming and going. This week I’ve been dealing with a severe sore throat, coughing up blood morning and night, and very bad migraines, and I still haven’t been treated or given any medication,” Prisciliano said.

“It’s not that I’m not holding on tight. Through faith and the support of my family and friends who know. That doesn’t mean it’s easy either. There were days when I cried and felt helpless. This is truly the worst feeling of my life,” [he] continued writing.

“I pray for the people in this situation because it’s not easy. Most of these people aren’t even criminals. They’re either at work or coming home when they’re caught,” the young man added.