ACLU of Pa., Parady La’s family seek records after Upper Darby man dies in ICE custody: ‘We need accountability’

The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania filed a Freedom of Information Act request on behalf of the family members of an Upper Darby resident who died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody on Jan. 9.

The ACLU of Pennsylvania joined Parady La’s family members, Philadelphia Community Bail Fund, VietLead and Asian Americans United at a press conference Thursday in front of the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia, where La was detained before he was transported to the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in critical condition.

“The La family and the public deserve answers and accountability, and the FOIA request is the first step in that process,” said Victoria Peña-Parr, a fellowship attorney at the ACLU of Pennsylvania. “With these records, we will help uncover what is happening in detention centers and fight this inhumane war that is being waged on our neighbors, our loved ones and our community members, regardless of their immigration status.”

The FOIA requests asks ICE and the Federal Bureau of Prisons to hand over records regarding La’s arrest and the medical attention he received while at FDC Philadelphia, as well as video footage of his treatment while detained.

“We are also seeking the policies and procedures to understand why facility staff would give Narcan to a person who is going through withdrawal when that is not the medical standard,” Peña-Parr said.

The deadline for a response is March 6, and March 20 if an extension is requested. If the FOIA request is denied, the ACLU of Pennsylvania plans to challenge in federal court, attorneys said.

Meghan Morgan, La’s wife, remembered him as “a provider, a caregiver and our protector.”

“To him, family was the most important thing in his life,” she said. “There was nothing he wouldn’t do for us. I always knew that if I ever needed anything, I could call on him and he would be there no matter what. Parady was not perfect, and he struggled with addiction, but he still always showed up for his family.”

Jazmine La, Parady La’s daughter, said her father’s death “has taken a toll on the whole family.”

“I’m grieving the loss of my dad, but I am also angry,” she said. “I am enraged at the thought of my father suffering in a cell while the staff actively ignored his distress.”

La, who recalled getting tennis lessons from her dad and other “adventures” with him growing up, said the family is also seeking a correction to her father’s reputation, after ICE described him as a “career criminal illegal alien” in its public statement.

In that statement, ICE said it provides “comprehensive medical care” to detainees, and it is “committed to ensuring that all those in custody reside in safe, secure and humane environments.”

State Sen. Tim Kearney, who represents Upper Darby, said constituents across Delaware County “are horrified” by La’s death, and have been calling elected officials to demand action.

“We need to know what happened to Mr. Law after he was detained,” he said. “We need accountability for the lack of proper medical care that he received, and Mr. La’s family deserves compensation for their loss on ICE’s watch.”

The La family has retained attorneys from the law firm of Kairys, Rudovsky, Messing, Feinberg, Lin and the Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project to handle a wrongful death lawsuit “if the facts point in that direction,” Keith Armstrong, of the ACLU of Pennsylvania, said.