By Felicia J. Persaud
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Mon. May 4, 2026: Another Caribbean immigrant has died while in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, marking the 15th such death this year and the third involving a Caribbean national.
The latest fatality involves 33-year-old Cuban national Denny Adan Gonzalez, who died on April 28 at the Stewart Detention Center in Georgia. According to ICE, the suspected cause of death is suicide, though the official cause remains under investigation. Facility staff reportedly found Gonzalez unresponsive in his cell at approximately 10:25 p.m.
Emergency personnel initiated CPR and used a cut-down tool in an attempt to revive him, an ICE statement said. Webster County Emergency Medical Services continued resuscitation efforts upon arrival, but Gonzalez was pronounced dead at 11:11 p.m., a news release added.
ICE said Gonzalez first entered the United States near Hidalgo, Texas, in May 2019 and was deemed inadmissible by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Following a credible fear determination, he was issued a Notice to Appear and ordered removed to Cuba by an immigration judge in December 2019.
He was deported in January 2020 but later re-entered the United States unlawfully and was encountered again in El Paso, Texas, in April 2022. Gonzalez was subsequently released under supervision and reported regularly to ICE in Charlotte, North Carolina, until September 2025.
Authorities said he was arrested again in Charlotte on Dec. 12, 2025, on charges of assault on a female and domestic violence, after which he was placed in ICE custody.
His death follows that of another Cuban national, Aled Damien Carbonell-Betancourt, who died earlier in April at the Federal Detention Center in Miami in what authorities also described as an apparent suicide. He had entered the United States in October 2024 and was detained in February 2026 pending removal proceedings.
Rising Deaths In ICE Custody
The deaths come amid a growing number of fatalities involving immigrants in ICE custody across the United States in 2026. At least 15 deaths have been recorded in the first four months of the year, raising renewed scrutiny over detention conditions, healthcare access, and oversight.
Mexican immigrant Alejandro Cabrera Clemente, 49, died April 11 after being found unresponsive at the Winn Correctional Center in Louisiana. Staff initiated emergency response efforts and transported him to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Cabrera, who had lived in the United States for over two decades, was in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
In another case, Tuan Van Bui, 55, died April 1 at a detention facility in Indiana after being discovered unresponsive. Authorities said emergency measures were immediately taken, but he was pronounced dead at the facility. The cause of death remains under investigation.
Additional deaths in March have further raised concerns. Jose Guadalupe Ramos-Solano died March 25 in California after being found unresponsive in his bunk, while 19-year-old Royer Perez-Jimenez died March 16 in Florida. Officials are investigating the circumstances surrounding both cases.
Emanuel Cleeford Damas of Haiti died March 2, 2026, while in ICE custody at HonorHealth Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. According to ICE, Damas “was pronounced dead at 1:12 p.m. after becoming unresponsive.”
Pejman Karshenas Najafabadi, a 59-year-old Iranian national, died March 1, 2026, at Merit Health Hospital in Natchez, Mississippi, after suffering cardiac arrest. ICE said he was pronounced deceased at approximately 6:32 p.m. despite lifesaving efforts by hospital staff. Najafabadi had been hospitalized since Feb. 20.
He had a documented medical history including cardiac arrest, inflammation of the heart, and methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Najafabadi had entered the United States in 1991 as a lawful permanent resident but had been convicted of several crimes over the years, including conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of fentanyl, and theft.
February alone saw three additional deaths in ICE custody.
Alberto Gutierrez-Reyes, a 48-year-old immigrant from Mexico convicted of inflicting corporal injury on a spouse, died Feb. 27 at Victor Valley Global Medical Center in Victorville, California. He had been hospitalized for chest pain and shortness of breath and was pronounced dead at 12:58 a.m.
On Feb. 16, Jairo Garcia-Hernandez, a 27-year-old migrant from Guatemala convicted of criminal possession of a weapon and impersonating an officer, died at Larkin Community Hospital in Miami after collapsing and becoming unresponsive.
That same day, Lorth Sim, a 59-year-old Cambodian national with prior convictions, was found unresponsive in his cell at the Miami Correctional Facility in Miami County. Despite lifesaving efforts by staff and emergency responders, he was pronounced dead at 7:10 a.m. His cause of death remains under investigation.
Advocacy groups have raised ongoing concerns about access to adequate healthcare, mental health support, and emergency response capabilities within detention centers.
ICE has maintained that individuals in its custody are held in safe, secure, and humane environments and that comprehensive medical care is provided throughout detention, including emergency services. The agency also states that all in-custody deaths are subject to mandatory reporting and review.
Advocacy groups have continued to raise concerns about access to adequate healthcare, mental health services, and emergency response capabilities within detention centers.
ICE maintains that individuals in its custody are held in safe, secure, and humane conditions, with comprehensive medical care available, including emergency services. The agency also states that all in-custody deaths are subject to mandatory reporting and review.
Felicia J. Persaud is the founder and publisher of NewsAmericasNow.com, the only daily syndicated newswire and digital platform dedicated exclusively to Caribbean Diaspora and Black immigrant news across the Americas.
