Mexican Man Reportedly Dies In Arizona Facility, ICE Yet To Disclose Cause Of Death

A Mexican man reportedly died under ICE custody at a detention center in Arizona. While ICE has not disclosed the cause, a website raising funds following the death claims it was a result of complications from Covid-19.

According to Univision, the man in question is Lorenzo Antonio Batrez Vargas, with the death taking place on August 31 at a complex in Florence, Arizona.

The website raising funds following the death claims that the passing is a "tragedy brought by the circumstances in which he died; alone, likely due to complications from Covid-19 and without the medical attention he deserved."

"No one should have to suffer in silence alone, and no family would have to wonder if the life of a loved one could have been saved with more compassion, more care and more justice," the website adds.

ICE rejected the claim, telling the outlet that "any affirmation that Lorenzo Antonio Batrez did not get proper medical detention is FALSE." It adds that he did test positive for Covid-19 but immediately got proper care and was isolated from the rest of the inmates.

"While in the medical unit, he lost consciousness. Doctors began measures to save his life, including CPE. Unfortunately, he died on August 31. The cause of death is still under investigation," ICE adds.

Several people have died under ICE custody this year. In late July, a Vietnamese migrant died after experiencing "seizures, vomiting, and unresponsiveness."

NBC News detailed back then that Tien Xuan Phan had been in custody at an ICE center in Texas for seven weeks before dying. The cause of death was not clarified and is now under investigation. The agency routinely publishes results 90 days after the episodes.

The outlet added that Phan was ordered to be removed from the U.S. by an immigration judge in 2012 but he "failed to leave," according to an ICE official. He was arrested in early June and had been under custody at the ICE Processing Center in Karnes County.

In early August, a Chinese migrant committed suicide in a Pennsylvania detention center. Chaofeng Ge, 32, was found hanging by the neck in the shower of his detention pod. He had left a handwritten note, but the content was not disclosed.

Staff who discovered Ge lowered him to the ground and began CPR, also calling emergency medical services, state police and the coroner's office, the agency added.

Ge had been in ICE custody for five days and was waiting a hearing regarding his case. He had been arrested in January after being reported by a CVS for fraudulently using a credit card to buy gift cards, ABC News detailed.