ICE Reports Second Immigrant Death at El Paso Detention Center in 2026
Posted on01/20/26 at 14:41
- Immigrant dies under federal custody at Camp East Montana
- Second death reported in El Paso
- ICE investigates cause
According to Univision, an immigrant died while in custody of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Camp East Montana detention center in El Paso, Texas.
With this case, two deaths have now been recorded at that facility so far in 2026, according to official information released by the federal agency itself.
The most recent death was confirmed on Sunday, January 18, through an ICE statement.
Second Death at ICE Detention Center Camp East Montana
ICE reported that the deceased was identified as Víctor Manuel Díaz, a 36-year-old immigrant from Nicaragua.
According to the agency, Díaz was found unconscious on January 14 at 4:09 p.m. inside the detention center.
The statement indicates that security staff detected the situation and notified on-site medical services at 3:35 p.m.
Despite life-saving measures being applied, Díaz was pronounced dead approximately half an hour later.
ICE stated that the cause of death is a suspected suicide.
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However, ICE clarified that the official cause of death in the detention center remains under investigation.
Camp East Montana is a migrant detention facility located within the Fort Bliss military base in El Paso, Texas.
This is the second death reported at that center in the early days of 2026.
Background of the Previous Case
The first death reported at Camp East Montana this year occurred on January 3.
The victim was identified as Geraldo Lunas Campos, a 55-year-old Cuban immigrant.
That case remains under investigation to determine whether it was a homicide.
While the federal government maintains that Lunas Campos attempted to take his own life, other accounts contradict that claim.
An eyewitness and the local medical examiner stated that the cause of death was asphyxiation.
According to those accounts, the asphyxiation allegedly occurred after a physical struggle with detention center guards.
The discrepancy between official reports and the statements from the witness and the medical examiner has raised questions about what happened.
Both deaths occurred within a span of less than two weeks at the same facility.
Detention and Immigration Process of Víctor Manuel Díaz
ICE reported that Víctor Manuel Díaz was detained on January 6 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
That same day, the Nicaraguan immigrant entered ICE custody.
Díaz had entered the United States on March 26, 2024.
After his entry, he was arrested by Border Patrol agents.
He was later released on parole while awaiting his immigration court hearing.
According to ICE, an immigration judge ordered his removal in absentia on August 26, 2025.
On January 12, the agency processed him under a final order of removal.
Following that procedure, he was detained again while awaiting deportation from the United States.
In its statement, ICE reiterated that it is committed to the safety of individuals under its custody.
“At no time during detention is emergency care denied to an undocumented detained individual,” the federal agency stated.
So far, no additional details have been released regarding the circumstances surrounding Díaz’s death.
Nationwide, ICE reported that five immigrants have died under its custody so far in 2026 at detention centers across the country.
Investigations into the cases remain ongoing.