Wrongful Death Lawsuit for Melvin Calero Mendoza
Holding ICE Accountable for Medical Neglect and Preventable Deaths
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Case Title |
Peralta Rivera, Dorling v. The Geo Group Inc et al |
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2024CV31540 |
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Venue |
Adams County District Court, Colorado |
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Attorneys |
Melvin's Case
Melvin Ariel Calero Mendoza, a Nicaraguan asylum seeker, tragically lost his life while in ICE custody at the Aurora Contract Detention Facility (ACDF) in Colorado. Melvin came to the United States seeking protection and a better life for his family but was met with inadequate medical care during his detainment, leading to his untimely death on October 13, 2022.
While detained at ACDF, Melvin began experiencing severe pain in his right leg. Despite his efforts to seek medical care, making at least three documented attempts to alert the detention center’s staff, his condition was overlooked. The lawsuit alleges that The GEO Group Inc, the private corporation responsible for operating ACDF, and Dr. Cary Walker, the Medical Director at the time, failed to provide proper medical attention. It is further alleged that their negligence in diagnosing and treating a blood clot in Melvin's leg led to the clot traveling to his lungs, causing a fatal pulmonary embolism—a blockage that prevents blood from reaching the lungs.
This tragedy has sparked further public outcry over the poor conditions and medical care provided at immigration detention facilities, which have been under scrutiny for years. Melvin’s death is not an isolated incident; two other detainees, Evalin-Ali Mandza in 2012 and Kamyar Samimi in 2017, also lost their lives due to similar neglect while under GEO's supervision at the same facility.
In response to this profound loss, Melvin’s family has taken legal action, filing a wrongful death lawsuit against The GEO Group and Dr. Walker in Adams County District Court. Their lawsuit seeks justice for Melvin’s wrongful death and shines a spotlight on the dire need for reform in medical practices within immigrant detention centers.
This case is a testament to the critical need for accountability in immigration detention facilities across the country and aims to prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future. The Calero Mendoza family is represented by Novo Legal Group, with Aaron Slade, Danielle Jefferis, and Luis Cortes Romero as lead attorneys on the case.
Media and Press
The Denver Post: Family of man who died in ICE custody from untreated blood clot sues Aurora facility (October 18, 2024)
CPR News: The family of a man who died in ICE custody in Aurora is suing the company that runs the detention center (October 16, 2024)
The Denver Gazette: Family of immigrant who died at Aurora Contract Detention files wrongful death suit against GEO Group (October 15, 2024)
Telemundo Denver: Familia demanda a centro de GEO en Aurora por alegada negligencia médica (October 15, 2024)
CPR News: How a death in an Aurora ICE detention facility derailed a Nicaraguan family’s dream (October 26, 2023)