Topline
A man arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minneapolis earlier this month died in a detention facility in Texas last week, the agency told several news outlets on Sunday night, as Democratic party leaders from Minnesota called for a probe into the latest instance of a death of a detainee in ICE’s custody.
Minnesota has seen of widespread protests against ICE’s immigration raids across parts of the state.
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Key Facts
According to CBS News, ICE confirmed that 36-year-old Victor Manuel Diaz was declared dead on Wednesday shortly after he was found unconscious and unresponsive in his room at the Camp East Montana detention facility in El Paso, Texas.
The agency told CBS that El Paso Emergency Medical Services unsuccessfully attempted to administer life-saving measures and claimed he “died of a presumed suicide,” although an investigation into the official cause is still ongoing.
ICE claimed Diaz was a Nicaraguan national who entered the U.S. illegally from Mexico in 2024 and despite him initially getting a parole, an immigration judge ordered his removal from the U.S. in August last year.
Diaz was arrested by federal officers in Minneapolis on Jan. 6.
Last month, the American Civil Liberties Union and other rights groups blasted what they categorized as “alarming conditions of confinement and repeated instances of coercion, physical force, and threats against immigrants” at the Texas facility.
What Do We Know About Recent Deaths In Ice Detention Facilities?
Last week, ICE disclosed that a Cuban immigrant had died in custody after allegedly attempting suicide; however, the Washington Post reported an eyewitness said that he had been choked by guards and a preliminary medical report ruled the death a homicide. Later in the week, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed the death of a Mexican national who was found “hanging by the neck and unresponsive” at an ICE detention facility in Georgia.
What Have Democratic Leaders In Minnesota Said?
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz shared a news report of the death on X on Sunday night and wrote: “This is deeply disturbing, especially after reports of growing concerns about the conditions at this facility. An investigation must take place.” Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., also called on X for a probe, saying: “Hearing reports that a man taken by ICE in Minneapolis died in federal custody. This is another senseless tragedy, ICE has an obligation to keep detainees safe. We need a complete and impartial investigation of what is happening in these detention centers.”
Further Reading
Protests Break Out In Minneapolis After Federal Agents Shoot Man During Arrest (Forbes)
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Siladitya Ray