French citizen dies in custody of US immigration agents

A 40-year-old native of Angola and citizen of France has reportedly died in the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody on January 1. While speaking to an international media outlet the ICE said that person died at a hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico and had been in the custody since November 12. The man is reportedly the fourth person to die in ICE custody in the 2020 fiscal year, which began in October. 

According to international media reports, the man was jailed at the Otero County Processing Center until December 11, when he was taken to the Torrance County Detention Facility. The next day, authorities at the detention facility had sent him to the hospital for treatment after which he died at the hospital on December 29. The ICE reportedly said that an autopsy is pending to determine the official cause of the death and the French consular officials are further attempting to locate the next of kin. 

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The death of 40-year-old follows that of Nebane Abienwi of Cameroon, who reportedly died in ICE custody in San Diego, California back in October after a brain haemorrhage. Under US President Donald Trump the ICE has expanded the number of people it detains to record levels. According to reports, as of mid-December, the agency was detaining nearly 42,000 immigrants in custody. The authorities have long said that it is dedicated to providing timely and comprehensive medical care to immigrants in its custody, however, another Cuban citizen died of an apparent suicide last year.

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'System which has failed to protect'

Between December 2018 and May 2019, five children from Guatemala also reportedly died in detention after their apprehension by US border officials. The medical care in ICE detention has reportedly come under scrutiny by Congressional officials in recent weeks. Trump has implemented numerous measures to curb a sharp increase in people crossing over the southern US border which overwhelmed the immigration system. According to international media reports, the Human Rights Watch said that the death of Henandez-Diaz has raised 'disturbing questions' about a system which has 'failed' to protect asylum seekers and other immigrants in its care over and over again. 

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