[This post was updated on October 5 2020 ]
Twenty-one* people died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody during fiscal year 2020 (Oct 1, 2019 to Sept 30, 2020). The number of people to die in ICE custody during the previous fiscal year was eight. At the same time the administration has shut down the border, slowed (though far from halted) internal removal operations, and continued to deport people, the number of people in ICE custody has fallen significantly since March. As of mid-September, ICE was holding 20,006 people in custody. The higher number of deaths, with fewer people incarcerated, translates into a spiraling mortality rate in ICE facilities.
The number of people in detention at the beginning of the fiscal year was approximately 53,000. There have been 177,391 book-ins since then. So, the “net” number of people to cycle through the system this fiscal year is 230,391. Which means, the mortality rate for people in ICE custody is 9.1/100,000 - or about 82% higher than the murder rate in the United States.
The people who have died this year come from all over the world, from Africa, Asia, Europe and throughout the Americas. It is a sobering reminder that the impacts of U.S. immigration policy reach everywhere. Four of the people who died were seeking asylum - two of whom had already passed credible fear interviews and remained detained anyway. One man, from Cameroon, died before he could be interviewed - taken off life support following a brain hemorrhage despite the wishes of family members that he remain on life support until someone could be with him. Another committed suicide a week after his appeal for asylum relief was denied. Overall, one-third (6) of those who died in custody committed suicide.
Of the eleven people to die since May 6, eight have died from COVID-19, though one other case is likely a COVID case - the person was never tested. All of these deaths involve people with known underlying conditions that make COVID-19 deadly, principally diabetes and in two cases the individuals were over 70 years of age. They would all be alive if ICE had followed recommendations to release people. Indeed, all of the people on this list would most likely be alive today if ICE had simply pursued alternatives to incarceration.
The actual number of deaths that have been the result of ICE detention during the pandemic is not known. ICE has deported thousands of people since March all over the world, hundreds of whom are known to have been COVID positive at the time of their deportation, and the majority of those deported have almost certainly been exposed to novel coronavirus while in custody. How many of these people have died following their deportation? How many others did those deported from the United States expose to novel coronavirus upon their return home due to ICE’s recklessness? There is no way to know. One possible indication of ICE’s responsibility: At the beginning of the summer at least 200 people in Guatemala who were COVID-19 positive had been traced to deportation flights.
Below I try to tell a part of the story of those who have died in the U.S. since October 1, 2020. Sadly, for most, the only information currently available to me is from ICE reports. In some cases, press reports have provided additional information - though often they are simply repeating information from ICE press releases. For a few of the deaths that happened earlier in the year, there has been time for independent investigation; negligence in these cases has been shown. None of these people deserved to die, and certainly the 20,000 other people remaining in detention do not deserve to be threatened with death for simply not being a U.S. citizen.
*Most reports show 20 deaths this year. I have included Óscar López Acosta below, which others have not. Though he died from COVID-19 related illness several weeks after his release, the details indicate he was most likely infected while in detention. López was included in Congressional counts of COVID deaths in ICE detention.
Nebane Abienwi, from Cameroon, October 1, 2019. Otay Mesa Detention facility (CoreCivic). From our earlier report:
Nebane Abienwi left Cameroon this summer, flying to Ecuador and then traveling up through Columbia, Central America and Mexico. He arrived at the San Ysidro Port of Entry near San Diego and declared his intent to seek asylum. Nebane was 37 years old and a father of six children. According to family members, his goal was to settle in the United States and then bring his family to join him.
On September 26, Abienwi apparently fell off his bunk, and was found in a confused state. He was eventually sent to Chula Vista Medical Center where it was discovered he was bleeding severely in his brain. The family was contacted on September 30th. At this point Abienwi was on a ventilator. Abienwi’s brother informed officials that the family wanted his brother to remain on life support until someone could come to be with him. However, after declaring that Nebane was brain dead, medical staff took him off life support. His brother, who was trying to get travel documents together to come be with Abienwi was not informed by ICE or medical staff. He found out from a reporter who called about the case.
Follow up report from The Nation: ‘According to two medical professionals, the lack of proper medical attention indicates that he was a victim of medical negligence. “It’s just inconceivable to me that he’s…been hospitalized three weeks ago [in Mexico] for severe hypertension and then can come into a facility and be totally normal,” said Dr. John Flack, hypertension specialist and Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine at Southern Illinois University, adding that his symptoms appeared to have been “woefully undertreated.”’
Roylan Hernandez-Diaz, from Cuba, October 15, 2019, Richwood Correctional Facility (Lasalle Corrections):
Crossed the border in May of 2019 seeking asylum. He was handed over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In August Roylan passed a credible fear interview and yet was still held in detention despite having family in the U.S. and thus not being a threat to flee. In October Roylan was part of a protest inside the Richwood Correctional facility where he was being held. In retaliation, Roylan was placed in solitary confinement. He was found dead in his cell; an apparent suicide by hanging.
Report on follow up investigation: “An Associated Press investigation into Hernandez’s death last October found neglect and apparent violations of government policies by jailers under U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, at a time when detention of migrants has reached record levels and new questions have arisen about the U.S. government’s treatment of people seeking refuge.”
ICE Detainee Death Report
Anthony Oluseye Akinyemi from Nigeria, December 21, 2019. Worcester County Jail, MD:
Akinyemi arrived in the United States in 2017 with a non-immigrant visa which was good for a year. He stayed beyond its expiration. In July 2019 he was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor sex crime and assault. He was convicted and given a suspended sentence with three years probation on Dec 19, 2019. Upon his release he was immediately handed over to ICE and taken to the Worcester County Jail in Maryland on December 20th. He hung himself in his cell that night (5:00 a.m. December 21, 2019).
Samuelino Pitchout Mavinga French citizen, originally from Angola, December 29, 2019. Otero County Processing Center (Management Training Corporation):
Mavinga arrived in New York in November 2018 under a visa waiver program. He was detained by border patrol at a checkpoint in Texas on November 11, 2019, for overstaying his visa. Mavinga was transferred into ICE custody the next day, and put into detention at the Otero County Processing Center, in Chaparral, New Mexico, pending deportation. He was, according to the intake proceeding, healthy. A month later, on December 11th, he was transferred to the Torrance County Detention Facility in Estancia, New Mexico. Prior to his transfer, ICE staff noted that he had stopped eating and had lost nearly twenty pounds. They transferred him anyway.
Mavinga was taken to a hospital the day after his arrival at Estancia and found to be suffering from a twisting of the large intestines causing bowel obstruction. He had surgery to remove a portion of his colon on December 16. In recovery he was confused, and uncooperative. The staff, with a doctor’s permission, received an order allowing him to be placed in a 4 point constraint - but it is not clear this was used. By Christmas day, Mavinga was in critical condition, his stomach filled with fluid due to infection. He died a few days later from a heart attack brought on by septic shock.
Ben James Owen from Britain, January 26, 2020. Baker County Detention Center (Baker County Sheriff’s Office)
Ben Owen died at the Baker County Detention Center in Macclenny, Florida, the cause of death “self-inflicted strangulation.
Owen entered the country on July 23, 2019 on a visa good until December 2019. He was here to visit his wife and newborn daughter who lived in Tennessee. According to a profile in the Daily Mail, he was hoping to eventually bring his family back to the U.K. In the interim he was applying for a green-card so he could stay in the U.S. and work as an electrician.
In November Owen was charged with battery for an undisclosed incident in Daytona Beach. ICE noted that Owen overstayed his visa at this point, though the time line makes clear he was charged in November, and could not have then left the country in December as he was awaiting trial. He was re-arrested on January 12 for violating the terms of his release. Owen was then turned over to ICE on January 15 and placed into deportation proceedings. Though facing charges, it is worth noting he had not yet been convicted of anything prior to being placed in ICE custody.
Owen hung himself ten days later after making a phone call to a friend. In addition to the new born daughter, he had another young daughter in the U.K.
Alberto Fundaro-Hernandez, from Cuba, died January 27, 2020 after detention at Krome North Service Processing Center in Miami, FL.
Hernandez had been in the United States since 1980, arriving with other refugees during the “Mariel boatlift.” Over the years he had several arrests on drug and assault charges, and had been homeless for at least 10 of those years. In January of 2000 an immigration judge issued an order of removal for Hernandez, though he was released with an “order of supervision.” ICE arrested him again on January 14, 2020 after he was discharged from jail following a three-day stint for shoplifting. He was then placed in Krome North Service Processing Center pending removal to Cuba.
Upon arrival at Krome, his medical sheet included the following conditions: congestive heart failure, asthma, diabetes, hypertension, Hepatitis C, dyslipidemia, and chronic kidney disease. Over the next week his health deteriorated rapidly. By January 22 he had become incontinent and X-rays showed an enlarged heart. On January 23 he was finally transferred to a hospital. Four days later he had 8 heart attacks in the space of 4 hours. He was briefly placed on life support and, according to ICE’s report, an effort was made to locate a family member. None was found. Following a 9th heart attack he was taken off of life support later that morning. He was 63.
David Hernandez Colula from Mexico, died February 21, 2020 after detention in the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center (CoreCivic).
Colula had been in the United States since at least 2014 - when he was picked up by border patrol in New York. He was released on bond a few days later pending removal proceedings. In December 2019 Hernandez was arrested by the Sturgis Police Department in Michigan who were responding to a “civil dispute” between Hernandez and his wife. The report indicates he was then held on an outstanding warrant for a previous domestic assault. Upon release from jail, Hernandez was immediately transferred to ICE custody and placed in detention pending removal proceedings. He was placed at the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center in Youngstown, Ohio on December 10, 2019.
Two days after his arrival at NOCC, Hernandez was found in his cell with a blanket around his neck. He was placed under a suicide watch and took part in group therapy sessions. Just four days later, a staff evaluation determined that, “he presented without risk factors, and recommended discontinuing his constant observation.” He was returned to the general population. In mid-January, Hernandez reported anxiety and sleeplessness. He was given anti-anxiety medications. Between January 8 and February 19 his ICE report indicates only three check-ins with mental health staff. A few hours after the last reported evaluation on February 19, in which staff claim they witnessed no concerning behavior, Hernandez hung himself in his room with a bed sheet.
Maria Celeste Ochoa Yoc de Ramirez from Guatemala, March 8, 2020 Prairieland Detention Facility (LaSalle Corrections).
Maria Celeste Ochoa Yoc de Ramirez was picked up by border patrol on September 4 near Hidalgo, Texas. She was transferred to ICE custody two days later and held at El Valle Detention Facility in Raymondville, TX. Six days later she was transferred to Kay County Detention Center (KCDC) in Oklahoma. Her intake assessment indicated she was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Ochoa filed a claim for asylum, and on October 8, was granted a hearing following an interview in which she established a credible fear of persecution if returned to Guatemala. According to ICE’s historic operating guidelines, at this point she should have been released until her hearing date. She had no criminal record and had family in the United States willing to sponsor her. Under the current administration she was detained anyway. ICE’s death report makes no mention of her asylum claim.
Between her arrival at KCDC in September and the end of January her ICE report only indicates medical treatment for minor issues. However, by the first of February she had lost 14 pounds and was clearly very ill. Over the course of the next 6 days, she was evaluated repeatedly, at one point simply given Flonase for a runny nose. Throughout she had an elevated heart rate and trouble breathing. On February 6, following an “abnormal” urine analysis she was finally sent to a hospital. The next day, Ochoa had an emergency gallbladder surgery. She was returned to detention on February 10. Three days later she was transferred to a Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas.
On February 18, Ochoa was then taken to a hospital again, later transferred to a medical center in Fort Worth where she remained until her death. Her cause of death, according to ICE’s press release, was “autoimmune hepatitis, complicated by septic shock and acute liver failure.” In other words, she died from an infection related to her surgery - a process that unfolded over nearly 2 weeks as her body slowly broke down. She was only 22.
Orlan Ariel Carcamo-Navarro from Honduras, died March 18, 2020, Karnes County Residential Center, Texas
Orlan Ariel Carcamo-Navarro arrived in the United States with his son on February 19, 2020. They presented themselves at the Presidio Texas Port of Entry and indicated that they would file for asylum. Two days later they were transferred to the Karnes County Residential Center.
Carcamo failed his initial asylum screening by a US Citizenship and Immigration Services officer on Feb. 28. This decision was later upheld by an immigration judge on March 11. Inside Karnes, Carcamo was suffering from depression. A case worker noted on March 5 that he became upset during a group trauma therapy session after discussing his situation back in Honduras and the initial denial of his asylum claim.
On March 16 during his parent “audit-check,” a social worker noted, “[Carcamo] reports... having anxiety, insomnia (difficulty sleeping), nightmares.” He was referred for an individual psychiatric evaluation. The next night, a week after his asylum appeal was denied, Carcamo hung himself in his room.
Lucian Allain of RAICES, who had been working with the family, said: “Today we learned that an immigrant father detained at the Karnes Detention Center took his own life. We are in shock and deeply disturbed by this devastating news. He was our client and we were fighting for his and his family's freedom...” At the time of writing I could find no information on what happened to his son. Carcamo was married and had one other child. He was 27 years old.
Ramiro Hernandez-Ibarra from Mexico, died March 21, 2020 after being held at Port Isabel Detention Center
On December 20, 2019 Hernandez was arrested by the Hidalgo County Sheriff's office for assault. Hernandez’s immigration record indicates he had been back and forth between Mexico and the U.S. many times over the past 20 years, and had been deported prior. Hernandez was convicted of the assault charge, and released with time served on January 14 - though held overnight on a detainer from ICE. On January 15 he was transferred to ICE custody and taken to the Port Isabel Detention Center. His intake form noted a history of diabetes and hypertension.
On February 7 an “advanced practice provider” evaluated Hernandez. ICE’s summary: “an APP evaluated Mr. Hernandez during a chronic care appointment and reviewed his laboratory results, which were normal except for elevated lipids, glucose, hemoglobin A1C, and trace protein and ketones in his urine. Mr. Hernandez complained of left flank pain, reported past kidney issues, and not drinking water.” (emphasis added). Over the next 10 days Hernandez was given a variety of treatment, and eventually diagnosed with a urinary tract infection. Four weeks later he collapsed while using the bathroom. He was rushed to a hospital where it was discovered he was in kidney failure. Unresponsive, he was placed on a ventilator. On March 21 he was removed from life support and pronounced dead. The press release simply noted “septic shock” as the preliminary cause of death. He was 42.
Carlos Ernesto Escobar Mejía, from El Salvador, died May 6, 2020 Otay Mesa Detention Facility (CoreCivic). COVID-19
Carlos was born in El Salvador and he fled that country as a child with his mother and sister after his brother was killed during the civil war in 1980. He had lived in the United States for 40 years. Like many people who live in the shadow of trauma, Carlos struggled with addiction and one result was a number of arrests for possession and a DUI. For these offenses, he served sentences like anyone else, and yet, under Clinton-era laws, the convictions made him deportable.
With a removal order in place, Carlos was placed in detention at the Otay Mesa Detention Facility after being stopped at a check-point by Border Patrol in January of this year. Carlos also had diabetes severe enough that an injury to one of his feet several years ago led to its amputation. In a wheelchair, diagnosed with hypertension and diabetes, he should have never been detained at all while awaiting his hearings — and certainly should have been paroled once the threat of COVID-19 was apparent. Instead, he was incarcerated.
On April 21, 2020 he was evaluated by medical staff for chills, cough and a sore throat. He was given a COVID-19 test, but sent back to the general population until the results came back positive three days later, at which point he was reassigned to a unit for COVID-19 patients.
He died on May 6 from “complications due to COVID-19.”
Choung Woong Ahn from South Korea, died May 17, 2020, Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center in Bakersfield, California
Ahn had been in the United States since 1988 and was a permanent resident. He had been convicted of attempted murder in 2013 and was taken into custody by ICE after his release from prison earlier this year. ICE had refused to release Ahn on bond after multiple appeals from family and attorneys since the time he was taken into custody in February.
Given his age [74] and health condition [diabetic], there seems little reason to have kept him detained. His crime made him deportable, but he had already served his sentence. If he were a U.S. citizen, he would simply have been sent home. Had he been permitted bond and allowed to wait for his hearing with family members, he would still be alive.
Ahn's last appeal for bond was on May 13 and was denied. On May 17 he was found hanging in his cell, an apparent suicide.
June Lee, director of the Korean Community Center of the East Bay wrote: “Mr. Ahn already served his time fully for his former convictions. He spent eight years at Solano State Prison in Vacaville. He earned his release, and was deemed safe to be reunited with family. Instead, ICE transferred him to the immigration detention facility in Bakersfield for deportation proceedings. ICE not only detained him, exposing a medically vulnerable old man to horrible risk of COVID19, but refused to release him 3 times, confiscating his right to see his family for good. A most meaningful way to honor Mr. Ahn’s life is to ensure no more inhumane death in ICE and its facilities [emphasis added].”
Óscar López Acosta from Honduras, died May 17, 2020, shortly after release from Morrow County Jail. COVID-19
Óscar López Acosta had been charged for irregular re-entry, after crossing the border following being deportations in 2009 and again in 2012. Though facing a federal conviction, Óscar fought the charge and was held in pre-trial detention for months. In May of 2019, he was released from federal prison after a judge sentenced him to time served for the re-entry charge. Rather than get released, however, he was transferred back into ICE custody, where he remained for another year.
On April 24 of this year, after it was confirmed that another person detained with him (and dozens of other people) had tested positive for COVID-19, he was released from Morrow County Jail. Oscar himself tested positive on May 3, and died of complications from the disease on May 17. He should have never been detained. Óscar López Acosta also had diabetes, and ICE knew this. During his trial for irregular re-entry in January of 2019, he went into diabetic shock after jailers forgot to give him his insulin injection. There was no purpose to his detention to begin with, and given his risk factors, he should have certainly been released much sooner.
ICE does not recognize Acosta’s death as a “detainee death” and most media outlets except for Mother Jones, have not reported on his death in relation to ICE detention. I am including him in my count because it seems clear he was infected with COVID-19 while in ICE custody and that he would be alive today if not for an unnecessary year spent in detention.
Santiago Baten-Oxlaj from Guatemala, died May 24, 2020 after detention at Stewart Detention Center. COVID-19
Santiago Baten-Oxla had been in the United States since 2005 without papers. He had no record until an arrest for driving under the influence earlier this year. On February 19 he was sentenced to 48 hours in jail and a year of probation. On March 2, ICE arrested Baten while he was checking in at a probation office in Marietta, Georgia. He was taken into custody and placed at the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, GA. His intake form documents a history of diabetes. On March 26, an immigration judge granted him voluntary departure. He was supposed to leave the country “on or before” April 27.
Baten was then exposed to COVID-19 in mid-April - when someone in his cohort tested positive. Baten remained with his cohort, despite showing symptoms and his documented history of diabetes, for 5 more days. His health continued to decline. He was finally transferred to Piedmont Columbus Regional Hospital on April 18, where he was formally diagnosed with COVID-19. He remained hospitalized until his death, spending the last few days of his life in intensive care. He was 34 years old, married and had three children.
Onoval Perez-Montufa from Mexico, died July 13, 2020 Glades County Detention Center COVID-19
Onoval Perez-Montufa was arrested on cocaine possession charges in 2007. He was tried and sentenced the following year to 12 years in federal prison. Upon his release from prison on June 15, 2020, Perez was immediately taken into ICE custody and detained pending removal proceedings.
Perez’s intake form indicated that he had a history of diabetes. He was initially held at the Krome Service Processing Center, and then transferred to Glades County Detention Center on June 24. Krome has been the source of multiple infections. Just a few weeks before Perez was held here a federal judge announced that 350 people had been exposed to COVID-19 and were in quarantine after eight staff members had tested positive. By mid-July there were 91 confirmed cases of COVID-19 at Krome, which one attorney described as a “COVID-19 petri dish.” Transfers from Krome have spread COVID-19 throughout the country - including possibly Farmville, which has an infection rate of over 80% now. This was the situation Perez was placed in.
Within a week of his transfer from Krome to Glades, Perez was showing COVID-19 symptoms and tested positive on July 2, 2020. In another week he was intubated, and remained on a ventilator until he was pronounced dead on July 12. Perez was 51 years old, married and had three children.
Louis Sanchez Perez from Guatemala, died July 15 after detention at Catahoula Correctional Center, Monroe, LA
Louis Sanchez Perez originally came to the United States in 1998 and was arrested by Border Patrol. He was sent back to Guatemala shortly after. He entered the U.S. again, and was removed following an arrest for a driving violation. He entered the system again after an arrest for drunk driving in Tennessee earlier this year. On January 29, 2020 ICE took custody of Sanchez and transferred him to Etowah County Jail.
Despite the risks associated with moving detainees from facility to facility in the current context, Perez would be transferred three more times. On February 6 he was transferred to the LaSalle ICE Processing Center. The next day he was transferred to the Winn Correctional Center. While at Winn Sanchez got sick. His in-take forms indicated a history of diabetes and hypertension. Within days he was exhibiting high blood pressure, which was treated and he appeared to stabilize. On February 21 he reported having trouble sleeping and difficulty breathing. On February 26 he was transferred again, this time to the Catahoula Correctional Center. That day he ended up in the hospital showing signs of pneumonia and never came out.
On June 9, Sanchez’s “cardiac monitor showed bradycardia (slow heart rate), and [he] presented with a faint pulse and respiratory difficulty, requiring subsequent transfer to the ICU and ventilatory assistance.” He was in ICU until his death on July 15. Despite these symptoms, there is no indication in his report that he was ever given a COVID-19 test. Rather, hospital staff ruled the preliminary cause of death to be “septic shock leading to cardiopulmonary arrest.” Louis Sanchez Perez was married and had one child. He was 46 years old.
Kuan Hai Lee from Taiwan, died August 6, 2020 after detention at Krome Service Processing Center, Miami, FL.
Kuan Hai Lee was incarcerated after being picked up by Border Patrol on January 23. He was found to have entered the country legally in 2004, but had overstayed his visa. On July 31 staff at the Krome Service Processing Center found Lee on the floor. He was taken to Kendall Hospital, where he remained until his death. The cause of death is listed by ICE as “massive intercranial [sic] hemorrhage.” There is very little information about Lee’s case available at this time. ICE has not yet released a detainee death report.
James Thomas Hill from Canada, died August 6, 2020 after detention at ICA-Farmville, Virginia. COVID-19.
Farmville currently has the highest COVID-19 infection rate among ICE’s facilities. At this point, almost everyone at Farmville is COVID-19 positive. The explosion of cases here happened following transfers from facilities with high exposure rates in Florida and Arizona in June.
On James Hill’s death, which is too recent for official review, I simply quote from the La Colective/Sanctuary DMV press release: We mourn the loss of James Hill, a 72-year-old man who died of COVID-19 after contracting the disease while detained at the Farmville detention center, operated by the private prison company Immigration Centers of America (ICA). Despite being high-risk of death from COVID-19 due to his age, James Hill had been detained at ICA-Farmville between April and July of this year, as the global pandemic spread like wildfire in ICE facilities across the country. He was supposed to return home to Canada on July 9th, but fell ill and was hospitalized days before his flight. On Wednesday night, he lost his fight against COVID and became the 17th person to die in ICE custody this fiscal year.
James Hill’s death was entirely preventable. He, along with nearly 90% of the detained population at Farmville, contracted COVID after ICE transferred 74 people from Florida and Arizona into ICA-Farmville in June. 51 of those 74 people later tested positive for COVID-19, and, shortly after the transfer, the entire facility became overwhelmed with COVID. Mr. Hill also suffered aggravated COVID symptoms after ICA-Farmville guards used pepper spray against people protesting the facility's abysmal response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Jose Guillen-Vega from Costa Rica, died August 10, 2020 after detention at Stewart Detention Center (CoreCivic). COVID-19
There is very little available about Guillen-Vega’s case other than what is in the ICE press release confirming his passing from complications related to COVID-19: “Guillen-Vega entered the United States in El Paso, Texas, in 1999 with authorization to remain until 2000. He stayed beyond that date and was later convicted of statutory rape and taking indecent liberties with a child in in Lincolnton, N.C., before being sentenced to 20 years in prison. ICE took custody of him on July 10 following his release from a North Carolina prison and transported him to Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Ga., five days later.”
His death from COVID-19 after detention at Stewart underscores ongoing concerns about Stewart Detention Center. Stewart has been the source of a years-long campaign to shutter the facility over its lack of adequate health services - in “normal” times - and patterns of abusive behavior. Guillen-Vega is the second person to die from COVID-19 at Stewart since May.
Fernando Sabonger-Garcia from Honduras died August 28, 2020 at the Joe Corley Processing Center in Conroe, Texas
According to ICE, Sabonger-Garcia had been in custody since July 7, after being transferred from the U.S. Marshal Services. He was first detained in July of 2019 after entering near Brownsville, TX. Though not specified, he seems to have been charged with irregular entry and held for a year in federal custody before being transferred to ICE. He became ill soon after his transfer and died from complications related to COVID-19 on August 28.
Cipriano Chavez-Alvarez from Mexico. Died September 21, 2020.Stewart Detention Center, Lumpkin, GA.
Chavez-Alvarez was a 61 year-old immigrant from Mexico. In 1993 he was sentenced to life in a federal prison following conviction for possession of cocaine with intent to sell. The heavy sentence was the result of this being his third federal drug conviction. In July of this year a federal judge ordered Chavez Alvarez released from federal prison. At that point he had served 27 years for the possession charge, and was sick. He had lymphoma, diabetes, kidney disease, and hypertension. The judge, Neil Wake, ordered him released from prison because he had a “chronic illness from which he is not expected to recover and the defendant’s ability to provide self-care against serious injury or death as a result of COVID-19 is substantially diminished, within the environment of a correctional facility, by the chronic condition itself.” Chavez-Alvarez was released from federal prison and immediately taken into ICE custody.
Stewart Detention Center is certainly characterized as the “environment of a correctional facility,” and so by the judge’s very description of the risk to Chavez-Alvarez, keeping him in detention was putting his life at risk. Within six weeks of being transferred to Stewart he became the 21st person to die this year in ICE custody, the 8th person to die with COVID, and the third person to die of COVID at Stewart.
Comments
Louise C Gregg (not verified)
Dear God, How long will this judicial and federal "malpractice" be tolerated!? Sounds like most of these people had no one to advocate for them. When will this injustice be corrected on a national and a local basis?