Advocates In Texas And New Mexico Demand Closure Of Detention Center After Three Deaths In a Month And a Half

Advocacy groups are demanding the closure of Camp East Montana, in Texas, after three deaths were reported there in a month and a half.

The group said in a statement that the succession of deaths illustrate "a deadly pattern of abuse, neglect, and impunity that has defined the facility since its opening."

The latest death is that of Victor Manuel Diaz, a Nicaraguan man. ICE detailed that the death is presumed to be a suicide but investigations on the matter continue.

Diaz was apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents on March 26, 2024, after entering the U.S. unlawfully. He was then arrested on January 6. His removal was ordered last August.

Days before, media reported that the death of Gerardo Lunas Campos, a Cuban migrant held in the camp, could be investigated as a homicide after the medical examiner determined that the preliminary cause was "asphyxia due to neck and chest compression."

ICE, in turn, said the man died after "experiencing medical distress" and the cause is under investigation.

The coalition of advocacy groups made reference to the death, saying that Lunas Campos "died from asphyxiation after guards choked him to death, and that federal authorities subsequently are threatening to deport key witnesses to the incident, raising grave concerns about accountability and efforts to suppress evidence of abuse at the facility."

The other death is that of Francisco Gaspar Cristobal Andres, who died on December 3 of "suspected natural causes."

The group concluded the release by claiming that "Camp East Montana must be closed without delay, and a full, independent investigation into all detention facilities must begin now."

At least 30 people died in ICE custody last year, the highest annual total in two decades, according to a Reuters analysis published earlier this month. Human rights groups and former detainees have repeatedly raised concerns about conditions inside detention facilities, including access to medical care.

The renewed scrutiny comes as ICE moves to significantly expand detention capacity. In December, the Washington Post reported that the agency is seeking contractors to convert industrial warehouses into large-scale detention and processing centers capable of holding more than 80,000 people nationwide.