{"id":10047,"date":"2026-01-27T16:51:47","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T16:51:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/?p=10047"},"modified":"2026-01-27T16:51:47","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T16:51:47","slug":"us-witnessed-many-ice-related-deaths-in-2026-here-are-their-stories-migration-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/?p=10047","title":{"rendered":"US witnessed many ICE-related deaths in 2026. Here are their stories | Migration News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p>The killing of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good by federal immigration agents this month has shocked the United States, prompting protests across the country and igniting calls for accountability.<\/p>\n<p>But Pretti and Good are far from the only deaths linked to immigration law enforcement.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 3 items<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>At least six immigrants have died in the custody of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency already in 2026, and a seventh person was fatally shot by an off-duty ICE officer.<\/p>\n<p>Last year, 32 deaths were reported in ICE custody.<\/p>\n<p>While most of the deaths were due to health complications, some of the late detainees\u2019 families have made accusations of abuse and medical neglect against ICE.<\/p>\n<p>Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, was killed by immigration officers on Saturday morning in Minneapolis. Good was shot on January 7, also in Minneapolis, after she tried to drive away from federal agents who surrounded her car.<\/p>\n<p>Here are the stories of the others whose death is linked to immigration law enforcement:<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"keith-porter\">Keith Porter<\/h2>\n<p>On New Year\u2019s Eve, an off-duty ICE agent shot Porter, 43, to death in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n<p>The exact circumstances of the shooting remain contested, and there are no known videos of the incident.<\/p>\n<p>The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described Porter \u2013 who was Black \u2013 as an \u201cactive shooter\u201d, but his family insists that he was merely firing his gun to welcome the new year, which is an illegal but widely observed US tradition.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo parent should ever have to bury their child, and the pain of this loss is something I would not wish on anyone,\u201d Porter\u2019s mother, Franceola Armstrong, said in a statement on an online fundraiser.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy son leaves behind two beautiful daughters, ages 10 and 20. They were his heart. Everything he did, every plan he made, was for them.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4268720\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4268720\" style=\"width:770px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-arc-image-770 wp-image-4268720\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Interactive_ICE_killed_Jan27_2026-02-1769512376.png?quality=80\" alt=\"Interactive_ICE_detention_deaths_Jan27_2026-02-1769512376\" data-interactive=\"true\" fetchpriority=\"low\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4268720\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">[Al Jazeera]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>No charges have been filed in the case.<\/p>\n<p>DHS has pushed to justify the shooting, accusing Porter of shooting at the officer.<\/p>\n<p>The department said the agent went outside his apartment complex to investigate the sound of gunshots, and when he encountered Porter, he ordered him to drop his weapon.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen the subject refused to comply, the officer fired defensively with his service weapon at the subject to disarm him. The subject fired at least three rounds at the officer,\u201d DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>The ICE agent was not harmed in the incident.<\/p>\n<p>Porter\u2019s family lawyer has raised questions over the DHS account, calling for evidence that the slain father of two fired at the officer.<\/p>\n<p>Jamal Tooson, the lawyer, also criticised the ICE agent for confronting Porter with his weapon instead of involving the local police, who are well-trained and familiar with the community.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHad he just stayed in his apartment for five minutes, Keith would be with us,\u201d Tooson said in a news conference.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"geraldo-lunas-campos\">Geraldo Lunas Campos<\/h2>\n<p>Earlier this month, ICE announced that Cuban immigrant Geraldo Lunas Campos, 55, died on January 3 at the agency\u2019s largest detention facility \u2013 Camp East Montana in Texas.<\/p>\n<p>Since then, contradicting details have emerged about his death, which a medical examiner has ruled as a homicide \u2013 meaning caused by another person.<\/p>\n<p>ICE initially said Lunas Campos \u201cbecame disruptive while in line for medication and refused to return to his assigned dorm\u201d and was placed in segregation.<\/p>\n<p>He then became distressed, according to the agency.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMedical staff responded, initiated lifesaving measures, and requested emergency medical services. Lunas was pronounced deceased by EMS,\u201d ICE said in a January 9 statement.<\/p>\n<p>The agency repeatedly highlighted Lunas Campos\u2019s criminal record.<\/p>\n<p>The authorities later changed their own story, claiming that Lunas Campos tried to kill himself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCampos violently resisted the security staff and continued to attempt to take his life,\u201d DHS\u2019s McLaughlin said. \u201cDuring the ensuing struggle, Campos stopped breathing and lost consciousness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But an autopsy report found that Linas Campos was killed by someone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBased on the investigative and examination findings, it is my opinion that the cause of death is asphyxia due to neck and torso compression,\u201d Adam Gonzalez, deputy medical examiner for El Paso County, said in the report, according to The Washington Post.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe manner of death is homicide.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lunas Campos\u2019 three children have filed a legal petition aiming to block the deportation of any detainees who may have witnessed the incident, as they prepare to file a wrongful death lawsuit.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAccording to an eyewitness to Mr Lunas Campos\u2019s death, guards at the facility choked him to death,\u201d the petition said.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"victor-manuel-diaz\">Victor Manuel Diaz<\/h2>\n<p>Immigration authorities arrested Nicaraguan immigrant Victor Manuel Diaz on January 6 in Minneapolis as part of their immigration crackdown in Minnesota. Eight days later, he died in ICE custody at Camp East Montana in Texas.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cContract security staff found Diaz unconscious and unresponsive in his room,\u201d ICE said in a statement. \u201cHe died of a presumed suicide; however, the official cause of his death remains under investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But Diaz\u2019s family is questioning the government\u2019s story.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t believe he took his life,\u201d Diaz\u2019s brother Yorlan told ABC News. \u201cHe was not a criminal; he was looking for a better life and he wanted to help our mother.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The family has also raised concerns over how the authorities are handling the investigation.<\/p>\n<p>According to several US media reports, Diaz\u2019s body was transferred to William Beaumont Army Medical Center for an autopsy, instead of the county medical examiner.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis, taking of the body and doing the autopsy report and not letting the medical examiner do it? You\u2019re then having the fox guarding the henhouse,\u201d Randall Kallinen, the family\u2019s lawyer, told the local outlet KTSM.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was with the federal government where the individual was staying and where he was killed. And now it\u2019s the federal government who is controlling the investigation and the information included in the autopsy report.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"parady-la\">Parady La<\/h2>\n<p>Cambodian immigrant Parady La, 46, had been in the US since 1981. He had come to the US legally as a child but lost his Green Card due to criminal convictions.<\/p>\n<p>Immigration authorities arrested him on January 6 and sent him to the Federal Detention Center (FDC) in Philadelphia, where he started experiencing \u201csevere drug withdrawal\u201d symptoms, according to ICE.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe next day, La was found unresponsive in his cell. FDC officers immediately administered CPR and several doses of NARCAN and called for medical assistance,\u201d the US agency said.<\/p>\n<p>NARCAN is a drug used for people experiencing a drug overdose, not withdrawals.<\/p>\n<p>La was transferred to a hospital and diagnosed with \u201canoxic brain injury, post-cardiac arrest, shock and multiple organ failures\u201d before he died, ICE said.<\/p>\n<p>But La\u2019s family is voicing scepticism about the level of care he received.<\/p>\n<p>His nephew, Michael La, said ICE\u2019s version of the events leading to his uncle\u2019s death \u201cdidn\u2019t add up\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs we keep fighting for information, we\u2019re finding out that there\u2019s like levels of information that just become locked, you know?\u201d Michael La told local public radio WHYY. \u201cWe\u2019re still fighting for answers and still trying to figure out what\u2019s going on.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"luis-beltran-yanez-cruz\">Luis Beltran Yanez\u2013Cruz<\/h2>\n<p>A father of three, Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz, 68, had been in the US for more than 20 years when ICE picked him up in New Jersey in November and transferred him to a detention centre in California.<\/p>\n<p>He died on January 6 of \u201cheart-related health issues\u201d after being transferred to a hospital.<\/p>\n<p>But his family has said that he was feeling ill for weeks and was only given pain medication.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs a father, he was an excellent dad,\u201d his daughter, Josselyn Yanez, told the news website northjersey.com. \u201cAs a grandfather, the best grandfather of all. We hoped our father would get out of that place, that he would come out alive \u2013 not the way he did.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"heber-sanchez-dominguez\">Heber Sanchez Dominguez<\/h2>\n<p>Seven days after ICE picked up Heber Sanchez Dominguez, the 34-year-old Mexican national was found dead in his cell at the Robert A Deyton (RAD) Detention Facility in Georgia on January 14.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRAD medical staff discovered Sanchaz (sic) hanging by the neck and unresponsive in his sleeping quarters at approximately 2:05 am,\u201d ICE said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>The lack of details has prompted calls for investigation, including from Mexican officials.<\/p>\n<p>Sanchez Dominguez was arrested in Georgia for driving without a licence before being transferred to ICE custody.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn coordination with the relevant US authorities, the Consulate General has requested that the circumstances of the incident be clarified and is cooperating in the necessary steps to ensure that the investigation is carried out promptly and transparently,\u201d Mexico\u2019s consulate in Atlanta said after Sanchez Dominguez\u2019s death.<\/p>\n<p>The Clayton County Democratic Committee in Georgia also called on state officials to push for an investigation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe further demand the immediate release of all records and documentation related to Mr. Sanchez Dominguez\u2019s detention, medical treatment, and the events leading up to his death. Transparency is not optional, it is a moral and legal obligation,\u201d the group said in a statement.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4268718\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4268718\" style=\"width:770px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-4268718 size-arc-image-770\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Interactive_ICE_killed_Jan27_2026-01-1769512374.png?quality=80\" alt=\"Interactive_ICE_killed_shootings_Jan27_2026\" data-interactive=\"true\" fetchpriority=\"low\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4268718\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">[Al Jazeera]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"luis-gustavo-nunez-caceres\">Luis Gustavo Nunez Caceres<\/h2>\n<p>ICE has said that Luis Gustavo Nunez Caceres, a 42-year-old immigrant from Honduras, died on January 5 at a hospital in Houston, Texas, after being admitted for \u201cchronic heart-related health issues\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Nunez did not have a criminal record, but he had entered the country irregularly. ICE nabbed him during an immigration enforcement operation in November 2025 and transferred him to the Joe Corley Processing Center in Texas.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cICE is committed to ensuring that all those in custody reside in safe, secure and humane environments,\u201d the agency said in a statement, after Nunez\u2019s death.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cComprehensive medical care is provided from the moment individuals arrive and throughout the entirety of their stay.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The killing of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good by federal immigration agents this month has shocked the United States, prompting protests across the country and igniting calls for accountability. But Pretti and Good are far from the only deaths linked to immigration law enforcement. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list At least [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10048,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10047","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-us-canada-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10047","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10047"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10047\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10048"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10047"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10047"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10047"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}