An Arizona family is pleading for medical care for their patriarch, Guillermo Gallardo Barrera, who has spent the past year detained at the Florence Correctional Center in declining health, according to his family.
Barrera, known to his family as Memo, is a longtime Arizona resident, father, and construction worker. In August 2025, he was detained in Gilbert following a traffic stop by Gilbert police “without cause,” the family wrote in a GoFundMe.
Despite living in the country for more than 20 years and raising two children, both of whom are US citizens, Barrera has been held in federal custody where his health continues to decline, according to the family.
“He is terrified, he will not make it out alive,” Barrera’s wife said in an Aug. 14 press release. “When he was detained he was healthy and now he can barely walk. His hands are going numb, he is struggling to get food, and his condition continues to get worse. We are desperate for someone to listen and get him the medical care he needs.”
Barrera has no criminal record, according to the family. Originally from Mexico, he’s spent more than two decades working as a construction worker and welder to make ends meet for his family, they said.
Now in detention as part of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda, which has left more than 65,000 people in federal custody, the family worries he might not make it out alive.
So far this year, 24 people have died while housed in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody and 33 people died in ICE custody in 2025. Despite reports of inadequate medical care within facilities, Trump and congressional Republicans have moved to funnel billions more to the federal agency, despite more than 50% of Americans supporting the abolition of ICE.
Worsening condition in Arizona detention
Prior to detainment, Barrera was healthy, his family said. While detained, his health has worsened and he needs medication and proper treatment, but officials have failed to provide it, according to the family.
Inadequate medical care is a common complaint in Arizona’s ICE facilities.
Arbella “Yari” Márquez, a former legal permanent resident whose status was revoked by a federal immigration judge, has not received proper medical care for her chronic lymphocytic leukemia, according to advocates. Márquez has lost more than 70 pounds and frequently coughs up blood, according to US Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Phoenix.)
In March, Emmanuel Damas, a Haitian asylum seeker, died from complications stemming from a tooth infection while housed in Florence after officials reportedly gave him only painkillers instead of proper treatment. Karla Saenz, who was held at the Eloy Detention Center for 44 days, said at an April press conference officials failed to provide her medication to treat a chronic illness, which caused “severe pain in my body, in addition to serious harm to my mental health.”
Despite increasing reports of neglect, ICE reduced facility inspections by 36% in 2025, according to the Project on Government Oversight.
Family calls for public support
In a video call filmed by his family, Barrera said his hands, feet and knees hurt, he has to use a cane to walk, his hands go numb, and the pain prevents him from sleeping. Despite his worsening pain, officials have only given him painkillers, he said.
“The truth is, I am very desperate, because this illness is getting worse. They won’t tell me what it is, since I came here I’ve been sick, dealing with this illness for almost a year,” Barrera said in Spanish.
ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“For more than 20 years, Memo worked, raised his children, and contributed to his community,” said Erika Andiola, political director at National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON). “He should not have to fight for basic medical care from inside a detention cell. No family should have to wonder whether their father will survive detention simply because he cannot access the medical treatment he needs.”
Organizers are asking members of the public to contact the facility and request Barrera receive adequate care. The family has set up a GoFundMe to assist with costs.
