In brief
Federal officials reported the death of Victor Manuel Diaz at the Fort Bliss immigration detention facility in El Paso, Texas. Diaz's passing, believed to be a suicide, raises alarms given it occurred shortly after another detainee, Geraldo Lunas Campos, died while in custody under questionable circumstances. Both deaths highlight ongoing concerns over the conditions and oversight of immigrant detention facilities. ICE has opened investigations into both incidents and notified Congress as required.
EL PASO, Texas (AP) — An immigrant from Nicaragua was found dead at a Texas immigration detention facility last week, federal officials said.
Victor Manuel Diaz appears to have killed himself Wednesday at the sprawling tent complex at the U.S. Army’s Fort Bill base in El Paso, Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement. The federal investigation into his death continues.
It’s the same facility where ICE said another detainee died earlier this month as staff members tried to keep him from killing himself. A fellow detainee alleged that at least five officers were restraining the handcuffed inmate when further complications ensued.
Diaz was swept up on January 6 in the federal crackdown on immigration in Minnesota and subsequently sent to Texas by ICE.
Diaz entered the United States in March 2024 and was taken into custody by Border Patrol officers. He was released on parole pending a court date, with a judge ordering him to leave the country during an August hearing that Diaz did not attend.
Diaz received a final order for removal on January 12, just two days prior to being found unconscious in his room.
ICE did not provide further details regarding Diaz’s death, but the agency conducts a notification process for all in-custody deaths, including communicating with Congress.
Diaz, 36, was detained at Camp Montana East, where another detainee, Geraldo Lunas Campos, died after being restrained by staff members. According to an investigation by the El Paso County Medical Examiner's Office, Campos, 55, was found to have died from asphyxia due to chest and neck compression, likely classified as a homicide.
A fellow detainee recounted that Campos, while handcuffed, resisted returning to his cell and was pinned down by several guards, with one reportedly applying pressure around his neck.
ICE has confirmed its ongoing investigation into both deaths, highlighting persistent concerns regarding the conditions of detention facilities and treatment of detainees.
