> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.lookoutnews.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Dozens of Arizona Officials Call for Humanitarian Release of Phoenix Queer Woman Held by ICE - URL: https://www.lookoutnews.org/dozens-of-arizona-officials-call-for-humanitarian-release-of-phoenix-queer-woman-held-by-ice/ - Published: 2026-05-06T16:56:10.000Z - Updated: 2026-06-18T14:13:38.000Z - Description: Arizona lawmakers and advocates warn her continued detention at Eloy, despite severe medical decline and a history of leukemia, amounts to a “death sentence” as pressure mounts on federal officials to grant humanitarian parole. - Author: Joseph Darius Jaafari (he/him) - Tags: SAFETY, #donate_box_1 At least three dozen elected officials in the Arizona Legislature and city of Phoenix are demanding the immediate humanitarian release of a queer woman in ICE custody who is not being given adequate medical care, according to multiple sources. Arbella “Yari” Rodríguez Márquez is a legal resident whose health has reached a critical state after more than 14 months in ICE custody. In a formal letter dated April 27, 2026, the Arizona Legislative Democrats’ LGBTQIA+ Caucus, joined by dozens of other lawmakers, urged federal authorities to approve humanitarian parole for Márquez, who is currently held at the Eloy Detention Center. The lawmakers warned that Márquez’s continued detention, despite documented evidence of her worsening medical conditions and a history of leukemia, is effectively a "death sentence". [LGBTQIA+ Caucus LetterThirty six members of the state legislature signed in support of release of Arbella “Yari” Rodríguez2026-04-28\_LGBTQIA CAUCUS Letter\_Arbella Rodriguez Marquez.pdf899 KBdownload-circle](https://www.lookoutnews.org/content/files/2026/05/2026-04-28%5FLGBTQIA-CAUCUS-Letter%5FArbella-Rodriguez-Marquez.pdf "Download") Signed by leaders such as Rep. Brian Garcia and Sen. Priya Sundareshan, the letter claims that the facility is not equipped to provide life-saving care for her deteriorating state. This legislative push follows a similar demand from Phoenix City Councilwoman Anna Hernandez, who recently called on the Department of Homeland Security to release Márquez so she can receive emergency treatment. U.S. Representative Yassamin Ansari, who invited Márquez’s partner, Sonia Almaraz, to the State of the Union earlier this year, has also been a vocal advocate, describing the medical neglect at Eloy as "absolutely appalling”. Márquez, a lesbian woman deeply embedded in Phoenix’s LGBTQ+ arts and music scene, was taken into custody on February 10, 2025, while returning through the Nogales border. Despite having no criminal history and maintaining legal residency for over two decades, she was stripped of her residency and placed in removal proceedings. # Want to Share Insider Information? ## Help keep power accountable. LOOKOUT relies on tips from readers to get our news out. Click on the button below to submit a secure email to our team. Any information you send will be kept confidential in accordance with our ethics guidelines. [Email a Tip ](mailto:editor@lookoutnews.org) Since her detainment, witnesses describe a harrowing account of Márquez's medical decline while inside: Márquez has lived with chronic lymphocytic leukemia since 2013, but since her detention, her condition has spiraled. She has reportedly lost over 70 pounds, suffers from hematemesis (vomiting blood daily), and now requires a walker to move. Beyond leukemia, she has been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and lymphedema while in custody, yet advocates claim she has been denied basic treatment, with officials reportedly offering only Tylenol for her pain. ICE officials have not responded to multiple requests from *LOOKOUT* regarding Márquez’s health inside. ![Sonia Almazar speaks at a press conference outside the ICE Field Office in Phoenix, advocating for the medical release of her partner, Arbella “Yari” Rodriguez Márquez.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/4c/0d/4c0d7266-d8e0-4201-8dfb-f7b14779cdc4/content/images/2026/05/IMG_7079.jpeg) Sonia Almaraz, the partner of Arbella “Yari” Rodríguez Márquez, speaks in support of medical release in November 2025 outside of the ICE Field Office on Central Avenue. (Photo by Joseph Darius Jaafari) The public campaign, led by the LGBTQ+ migrant rights group Trans Queer Pueblo, has gained significant momentum, with an online petition garnering over 2,700 signatures. The pressure campaign has not been without controversy; fellow organizer Karla Saenz was recently detained in what advocates called a "retaliatory" arrest for her work on Márquez’s behalf, though a federal judge ordered Saenz’s release last month after *LOOKOUT* reported on her detention. Márquez’s partner and community continue to plead for her life: ”We just want her out," Almaraz said recently, adding that every additional day in Eloy is a day of "cruelty, negligence, and violence.” ## Before you go... At **LOOKOUT**, we believe in the power of community-supported journalism. You're at the heart of that community, and your support helps us deliver the news and information the LGBTQ+ community needs to thrive. ### Two ways to support LOOKOUT: [Become a Member Get exclusive benefits. ](https://www.lookoutnews.org/?form=donate) [Make a Donation Make an immediate impact. ](https://www.lookoutnews.org/?form=one-time)