A Cuban migrant detained in solitary confinement at an immigration facility in Texas passed away after staff held him down, resulting in his inability to breathe, as indicated by an autopsy report disclosed on Wednesday, classifying the death as a homicide.
Geraldo Lunas Campos, a father of four, died on January 3 after an altercation with guards. Initially, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) claimed the 55-year-old was trying to commit suicide, and the personnel made efforts to rescue him.
However, a witness informed The Associated Press that Lunas Campos was handcuffed while multiple guards restrained him, with one applying pressure to his neck until he lost consciousness.
Last year, ICE recorded at least 30 deaths in its custody, the highest level in twenty years. In the first ten days of 2026, four immigrants, including Lunas Campos, died while in federal immigration detention.
Lunas Campos’s demise marked the third fatality in less than two months at Camp East Montana, a tent facility located in the desert at Fort Bliss near El Paso.
Representative Veronica Escobar, a Democrat representing El Paso, urged Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and acting ICE director Todd M. Lyons to provide Congress with a briefing on the recent deaths and called for the closure of Camp East Montana.
The El Paso County Medical Examiner’s Office autopsy report revealed signs of struggle on Lunas Campos’s body, including chest and knee abrasions and neck hemorrhages. Dr. Adam Gonzalez, the deputy medical examiner, determined the cause of death as asphyxia resulting from neck and torso compression.
The report stated that witnesses observed Lunas Campos becoming unresponsive while being physically restrained by law enforcement. Dr. Victor Weedn, a forensic pathologist, highlighted that petechial hemorrhages in the eyes supported the conclusion of asphyxia-induced death.
ICE’s initial report did not mention the altercation with guards but suggested that Lunas Campos became disruptive, leading to his placement in a segregated area where he required medical assistance. The final autopsy report did not mention a suicide attempt.
It remains unclear whether the guards present at Lunas Campos’s death were government employees or from a private contractor. Following family notification that the death would likely be labeled a homicide, a DHS spokesperson revised the account, stating that Lunas Campos had attempted suicide.
The American Immigration Council and Democrats have raised concerns about ICE’s aggressive tactics and the increasing number of immigrant deaths in detention facilities. Francisco Gaspar-Andres and Victor Manuel Diaz were among the other immigrants who died while in detention.
Lunas Campos, who had been residing in the U.S. since 1996, was apprehended in July due to prior criminal convictions. His record included a sexual offense conviction and a drug-related conviction, which led to his eligibility for deportation.
After the release of the final autopsy report, DHS emphasized Lunas Campos’s criminal history. The department has not disclosed whether any external law enforcement agency is conducting an investigation.