ICE Detains Minnesota Kidney Transplant Patient; Family Says He Went Days Without Anti‑Rejection Medication

A Minnesota man who received a kidney transplant in July 2023 was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Rochester, and his family says he went more than four days without the anti‑rejection medication he needs to survive.

Carolina Rosario De Abreu told MPR News she spoke by phone with her husband, 38‑year‑old Javier Abreu‑Vasquez, who said he had not been given his daily anti‑rejection pills since his arrest on Thursday. According to his wife and family, those medications are essential to prevent his body from rejecting the transplanted kidney.

There are ongoing calls to end the immigration raids in Minneapolis after two U.S. citizens were shot by federal immigration agents. / Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Arrest and Immediate Aftermath

Witnesses told The Post Bulletin that ICE agents stopped Abreu‑Vasquez while he was delivering groceries for a mutual aid network organized by his church, and that his car was rammed and a window was broken during the detention. State Representative Kim Hicks said she personally delivered the patient’s medication to the Whipple federal building, where he was being held.

Hicks said a lawyer for Abreu‑Vasquez was initially told that the facility would only accept the drugs with a doctor’s note. After the family provided a note from Abreu‑Vasquez’s Mayo Clinic physician confirming his July 2023 transplant, federal staff told the family he was already receiving medication.

Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. / Mikaela McGee / DHS

Family members also say Abreu‑Vasquez was informed he would be transferred the next day to a federal detention facility in Texas.

Government Response

“ICE is aware of his recent kidney transplant, and his family sent the medications and medical documentation,” said DHS assistant press secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a statement reported by MPR News. “ICE is working with the family to ensure he gets all of his needed medications.”

The statement also said, “It is a longstanding practice to provide comprehensive medical care from the moment an alien enters ICE custody. This is the best healthcare many aliens have received in their entire lives.” When pressed for an update on whether Abreu‑Vasquez actually received the medicines after the initial statement, reporters said DHS repeated the same message without directly confirming delivery.

Thousands have demonstrated peacefully against ICE's aggressive deportation policies since the DHS crackdown began last year. / Anadolu / Anadolu via Getty Images

Legal Status and Reactions

Rep. Hicks told MPR News that Abreu‑Vasquez is legally present in the U.S. and has an alien registration number, which serves as a permanent immigration ID for non‑citizens. Hicks criticized the detention and the reported delay in medical care:

“I don’t understand why the federal government is taking Minnesotans who are not criminals, who are part of our communities, and violently ripping them off the streets... and then denying them access to life‑saving medication. For what purpose? What is the end goal here?”

The Daily Beast and other outlets have reached out to Rep. Hicks and ICE for further comment and updates on Abreu‑Vasquez’s condition and custody status.

What remains clear: Abreu‑Vasquez’s family alleges a dangerous interruption of medically necessary drugs after his arrest; ICE says it is coordinating with the family and has been provided medical documentation and medication, but public confirmation that he received the doses has not been provided in follow‑up statements.