As we are now in February, Americans have already noticed an uptick in violence and corruption at the hands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Renee Good and Alex Pretti have been the most widely discussed thus far, but there have been others whose deaths have received far less public attention.
For example, Keith Porter was a 48-year-old Black man who was shot and killed on New Year’s Eve by an off-duty ICE agent. He was reportedly armed and firing his weapon into the air before being killed. Due to the lack of media coverage, publicly released footage, or evidence, his family and community are demanding a deeper investigation, potential charges, and greater transparency from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).
Luis Gustavo Nunez Cacares was a 42-Year-old Honduran immigrant in Texas who was taken into custody by ICE due to his immigration status. According to a statement from ICE, he died of heart failure in a hospital. However, his family believes he passed away because he didn’t receive adequate healthcare while detained.
Cuban immigrant Geraldo Lunas Campos, 55, died in ICE custody at Camp East Montana, a detention center in El Paso, Texas. ICE claimed that he became “disruptive” while in line for medication and received medical services for his distress. However, a medical examination and autopsy reportedly ruled the cause of death as homicide by asphyxia, meaning deprivation of oxygen. A witness claimed they saw Campos held down in handcuffs while in a chokehold. However, ICE stated that officers were attempting to prevent a suicide attempt.
Additionally, Victor Manuel DĂaz was a 36-year-old undocumented immigrant from Nicaragua who also died while in custody at Camp East Montana. ICE claimed that he was found unresponsive and concluded that his death was a suicide. His mourning family denies that he would have committed suicide and finds this conclusion by ICE suspicious.
Parady La was a 46-year-old Cambodian immigrant who died in the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia. He was found unresponsive and taken to the hospital, where he died from organ failure. His family says he experienced severe withdrawal symptoms while in custody and was not given the right healthcare; however, ICE refutes this. His family similarly demands more transparency about his death.
68-year-old undocumented Honduran immigrant, Luis Beltrán Yáñez–Cruz, was arrested and taken into custody by ICE after communicating with his family that he was not feeling well. He suffered from heart-related health problems and passed away in the hospital. His family believes his health concerns were not addressed urgently by the facility, which may have led to his death.
Heber Sánchez DomĂnguez, a 34-year-old Mexican immigrant, passed away in the Robert A. Deyton Detention Center in Clayton County, Georgia. According to claims by ICE, he was found deceased hanging in his cell. Mexican officials requested more details, as there was little to no transparency from ICE.
Overall, while many are aware of the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, many others have died at the hands of ICE. Whether they were in custody or not, these are people many are unaware of, highlighting a larger issue in ICE procedures.