Another Man Dies Under ICE Custody In Texas: 'Presumed Suicide'

Another man has died under ICE custody, with the agency claiming the cause is "presumed suicide." "However, the official cause of his death remains under investigation," the agency added.

The man in question is 36-year-old Victor Manuel Diaz. He was found unconscious and unresponsive in his room at Camp East Montana in El Paso.

Emergency services were notified after he was found and attempted life-saving measures minutes later, but he was later pronounced dead.

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.

Another death under ICE custody was reported in Georgia late last week. The case in question involved a Mexican citizen, with the country's government saying it is seeking answers about it.

Concretely, the country's consulate in Atlanta said it is requesting that the "circumstances of the incident be clarified" and clarified that it is "collaborating on the necessary procedures to ensure that the investigation is conducted promptly and transparently."

The Department of Homeland Security detailed last week that four other migrants died while in ICE custody in the first 10 days of the year.

The individuals — Parady La, 46; Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz, 68; Luis Gustavo Nunez Caceres, 42; and Geraldo Lunas Campos, 55 — died between Jan. 3 and Jan. 9.

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.