Second man dies at Texas ICE detention facility in two weeks

Victor Manuel Diaz, a 36-year-old Nicaraguan man, died at the Camp East Montana ICE detention facility in El Paso, Texas, on January 14th. ICE stated Diaz was found unresponsive and his death is presumed to be a suicide, though it remains under investigation. Diaz had been detained on January 12th for deportation after an immigration judge ordered his removal in absentia. This is the second death at the facility in two weeks; Geraldo Lunas Campos, a 55-year-old Cuban immigrant, died there on January 3rd. Preliminary findings suggest Campos' death was due to asphyxia, and reports indicate a potential homicide investigation. Thirty-two people died in ICE custody last year, and at least five have died this year.

Victor Manuel Diaz, a 36-year-old immigrant from Nicaragua, was found dead last week at the Fort Bliss immigration detention facility in El Paso, Texas. ICE stated that Diaz appeared to have killed himself on Wednesday and that a federal investigation is ongoing. This death follows the recent death of another detainee, Geraldo Lunas Campos, at the same facility earlier this month. While ICE stated staff were trying to prevent Lunas Campos from killing himself, a preliminary investigation suggests asphyxia from chest and neck compression, potentially classifying the death as a homicide. Diaz had entered the U.S. in March 2024, was released on parole, and was later ordered to leave the country after missing an August hearing. He was taken into custody on January 6th as part of a federal crackdown on immigration in Minnesota.