A Louisville congressman is demanding the release of an ICE detainee whose family says she has gone nearly a week without medication prescribed for sickle cell anemia. Her family says Sarafinah Bukirwa’s condition could become life-threatening without immediate medical care.
Bukirwa has been held at the Grayson County Detention Center since last Wednesday, according to McGarvey’s office and WLKY. McGarvey was scheduled to host a 4:30 p.m. press conference Wednesday at the Romano Mazzoli Federal Building in downtown Louisville, joined by two people representing Bukirwa.
The request comes as congressional scrutiny of Kentucky’s immigration detention system intensifies. On Monday, McGarvey joined Reps. Gwen Moore of Wisconsin and Delia C. Ramirez of Illinois for a tour of the Campbell County Detention Center, where they raised concerns about detainees’ access to medicine, food and other medical care, according to a House press release.
According to Congress.gov, it hosts a resource titled 'Immigration Detention: A Legal Overview' that outlines legal frameworks for immigration detention.
That visit involved a different facility from the one holding Bukirwa. Still, Link nky reported that the lawmakers questioned medical care and living conditions at Campbell County, while Jailer Jim Daley rejected their allegations as politically motivated and called claims of inadequate care an absolute lie.
Why Missing Medication Raises Stakes
Sickle cell disease can cause misshapen blood cells to block blood flow and oxygen, leading to severe pain and complications throughout the body. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says treatment focuses on preventing and managing pain episodes and other complications, with severe crises sometimes requiring fluids, pain medicine or hospitalization.
The sources do not cite ICE detainee guidance instructing people in custody to inform health care professionals about medical conditions or any medications they take or need. The WLKY excerpt provided does not indicate which prescriptions Bukirwa was missing, explain why access was interrupted or say whether she had received a new medical evaluation.
According to the Department of Justice, a 'Report and Recommendations Concerning the' immigration detention system notes standards including that 'At least once per day, medical staff conduct medical' contacts (as reflected in the report excerpt).
The immediate question is whether Bukirwa will be released or receive the medical treatment her family says she needs before her condition worsens. For Louisville, the case adds a sharply personal dimension to a growing Kentucky fight over how county jails care for people held for federal immigration authorities.
A Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals opinion posted on opn.ca6.uscourts.gov (Aug 20, 2025) involved an immigration-detention complaint arising in Kentucky, providing a legal precedent involving detention-related claims in the state. According to the Department of Justice, the Snyder v. Rosales-Garcia matter involved the Warden of the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky, reflecting prior litigation touching medical care in custody settings.
