Venezuelan Man Dies in ICE Custody During Transfer in Georgia
Jesús Manuel Arenas-Silva, 45, was found unresponsive while being transferred between detention facilities in Georgia, marking the 22nd death in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody this year.
Arenas-Silva, a Venezuelan national, died Monday morning during a transfer from the Irwin County Detention Center to the Folkston ICE processing center. ICE reported that he was arrested last Thursday and initially detained at the Irwin facility, a privately operated center in Georgia. The agency stated the suspected cause of death was cardiac arrest.
Concerns Over Medical Care in Detention
Family members and immigrant rights groups in Georgia have raised concerns that Arenas-Silva was not provided necessary medications for an undisclosed medical condition during his detention, despite his family’s requests for him to continue treatment after his arrest.
“He went without medication during his detention until he tragically died in ICE custody on Monday,”
the statement from his sister and advocacy organizations said.
Context of Recent Deaths in ICE Custody
Arenas-Silva’s death follows a series of fatalities amid heightened immigration enforcement. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, faces increased scrutiny after three other deaths occurred in the past week during enforcement actions.
Last week, an individual was fatally shot by an ICE official in Texas. This week, Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero died after being restrained by ICE officers in Maine. Additionally, another man died during an enforcement operation when he was shot while attempting to flee immigration officials.
Background and Detention Details
Arenas-Silva entered the United States in 2021 and was encountered by border patrol agents in California shortly thereafter, according to ICE. An immigration judge in Atlanta ordered his removal to Venezuela in April. ICE arrested him during a targeted enforcement action in Dallas, Georgia, last week.
When detained at his residence last Thursday, ICE initially denied his family’s request to allow him to bring his medications, later permitting only one. Arenas-Silva reportedly informed his sister by phone that officials had not provided his required medication while in detention.
During the transfer to the Folkston facility, he was found unresponsive on the transport bus. Staff called for medical assistance and transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
“I am 100% certain that he did not receive proper care,”
his sister said, remaining unnamed in the press release.
“I deeply mourn his passing in such a cruel manner; that is why I will seek justice for him and for everyone else who goes through this, so that other families do not have to endure what we are going through. No one should go through this.”
DHS did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the claims about Arenas-Silva’s medical care.
Irwin County Detention Center’s Controversial History
The Irwin County Detention Center, where Arenas-Silva was held, has a history of controversy. The Biden administration terminated its contract with ICE in 2021 following whistleblower reports of medical abuse by a nurse at the facility. In 2020, allegations surfaced that women detained there were subjected to non-consensual gynecological procedures.
A 2022 Senate subcommittee investigation found that female detainees at Irwin had been subjected to excessive, invasive, and often unnecessary gynecological procedures.
“He should have never been detained at the notorious Irwin County Detention Center, especially given his medical condition,”
said Azadeh Shahshahani, legal and advocacy director for Project South, a civil rights organization in Georgia.
“ICE’s callous disregard towards the humanity of Jesus Manuel Arenas-Silva, not even allowing him to take along his essential medication, is abominable. They must be held accountable. And this agency must be abolished immediately.”
Calls for Independent Investigation and Accountability
Arenas-Silva’s family is demanding an independent investigation into his death. His passing follows the late June death of Adrian Andreas Florian, an 85-year-old German man who died in hospital while in ICE custody in Texas.
The DHS has expanded detention capacity and population since early 2023. The number of deaths in ICE custody has reached record levels, with 33 detainee deaths reported in 2023, the highest in over two decades.
“We must continue to fight for accountability for everyone who has lost a loved one,”
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal stated on X in response to Arenas-Silva’s death.
“And it’s time to end the use of all for-profit detention centers.”
International Concern Over ICE Custody Deaths
Deaths in ICE custody have drawn international attention. In late June, Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed concern over fatalities in U.S. immigration detention and called for prompt, independent, impartial, and effective investigations.
