Guatemalan asylum seeker denied surgery for ovarian cyst in Texas detention, released after four months
Jun 5, 2026·Location: Texas
Country of origin: Guatemala

Andrea Pedro-Francisco, a 23-year-old Guatemalan asylum seeker who fled to the U.S. with her mother in 2019, was arrested on February 5, 2026, by federal agents during a traffic stop while driving to work in Minnesota. She was immediately transferred to Camp East Montana, a tent detention facility at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, where she was held for nearly four months in crowded conditions. Pedro-Francisco had a golf-ball-sized ovarian cyst that required surgery before her arrest; nine independent physicians concluded the procedure was medically necessary to prevent serious complications including infertility and potential death. ICE repeatedly denied approval for the surgery and provided only over-the-counter pain relief despite a doctor's opioid prescription. Her mother, who has two younger U.S. citizen children, was released at the scene. Following legal motions, advocacy by U.S. Representatives Angie Craig, Greg Casar, and Veronica Escobar, Senator Tina Smith's intervention with DHS, and sustained efforts by lawyers and organizers, Pedro-Francisco was released in early June 2026 with GPS monitoring and her case transferred back to Minnesota for a July hearing.
Timeline
Sources
- Burnsville woman in ICE detention can’t access lifesaving surgery, lawyer says
mprnews.org·Apr 13, 2026·archived copy
- MINNESOTA REFORMER: U.S. Rep. Angie Craig calls for release of woman in ICE detention with large ovarian cyst
craig.house.gov·Apr 13, 2026·archived copy
- U.S. Rep. Angie Craig calls for release of woman in ICE detention with large ovarian cyst
Yahoo News·Apr 13, 2026·archived copy
- Minnesota woman detained by ICE in El Paso seeks release as her ovarian cyst worsens
elpasomatters.org·Apr 20, 2026·archived copy
- MPR News
- Woman detained by ICE wrongfully denied surgery, doctors say
Texas Tribune·May 20, 2026·archived copy
- Immigrant detainee pleads with ICE to let her have surgery
scrippsnews.com·May 21, 2026·archived copy
WTVR·May 21, 2026·archived copy
- Detained Guatemalan woman who required urgent ovarian surgery for months released by ICE
tpr.org·Jun 5, 2026·archived copy
- Minnesota Asylum Seeker Released from Texas ICE Facility After Senator’s Intervention
theamericanstarnews.com·Jun 6, 2026·archived copy
- Miscarriages, infections, neglect: The pregnant women detained by ICE
uk.news.yahoo.com·Dec 3, 2025·archived copy
- mdjonline.com
- minnesotareformer.com
- mdjonline.com
- ‘I feel desperate’: Minnesota woman suffering medical emergency stuck in Texas detention
Yahoo News·Mar 16, 2026·archived copy
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