Three ICE facilities documented multiple detainee deaths between late 2025 and early 2026, reflecting a broader spike in immigration custody mortality. Fort Bliss (El Paso), Adelanto (California), and Florence-area facilities each recorded incidents linked to medical negligence and delayed care, part of a pattern that mirrors record-high death rates across ICE custody in 2025–2026. The mortality rate in ICE custody has more than doubled since Trump's second term began in January 2025 and is nearly four times the rate under the Biden administration. These three facilities illustrate how individual deaths reflect systemic failures in medical care and facility conditions.
Table of Contents
- Deaths Across Three Facilities
- Medical Negligence and Delayed Care
- A Sharp Increase in ICE Custody Deaths
- A Pattern That Demands Attention
Deaths Across Three Facilities
Fort Bliss (Camp East Montana) in El Paso recorded three deaths between December 2025 and January 2026: Francisco Gaspar-Andrés (48), Geraldo Lunas Campos (55), and Victor Manuel Diaz (age not disclosed). Adelanto ice Processing Center in California documented four deaths from September 2025 to March 2026: Ismael Ayala-Uribe (39), Gabriel Garcia-Aviles (56), Alberto Gutiérrez Reyes (48), and José Guadalupe Ramos-Solano (52).
Florence-area ICE facilities recorded two deaths: Emmanuel Damas (56) and Lorenzo Antonio Batrez Vargas (32). Together, nine deaths across these three facilities in fewer than six months represent a concentrated mortality event that drew Congressional attention and raised questions about conditions and care practices.
Medical Negligence and Delayed Care
The deaths at these three facilities share a common thread: failures in medical assessment and treatment. At Adelanto, ICE suspended the rule requiring detainees to receive medical checkups within two weeks, citing a case backlog; the suspension began in July 2025, one month before the first documented death. At Fort Bliss, ICE had been warned about conditions at the facility before the deaths occurred.
One of those deaths—Geraldo lunas Campos—was ruled a homicide by the El Paso County Medical Examiner, caused by asphyxia due to neck and torso compression while being restrained by law enforcement. At Florence, Emmanuel Damas died March 2, 2026, from sepsis caused by an untreated tooth infection—a condition that basic dental care in custody could have prevented from becoming life-threatening. These incidents suggest that detainees at all three facilities faced barriers to timely medical attention.
A Sharp Increase in ICE Custody Deaths
The deaths at Fort Bliss, Adelanto, and Florence are part of a larger crisis. ICE reported 33 detainee deaths in 2025, the highest total in more than two decades, and fiscal year 2026 became the deadliest on record with 37 deaths, according to Human Rights Watch. Common factors across these deaths include existing medical conditions, delayed or denied medical care, and inadequate facility conditions; 32 deaths from January 2025 to March 2026 involved people with pre-existing medical conditions who experienced worsening complications in custody, per the Kaiser Family Foundation. This pattern indicates that detention itself, combined with medical neglect, poses acute risk to people with existing health vulnerabilities.
A Pattern That Demands Attention
The deaths at these three facilities illustrate a systemic problem: detention without adequate medical care creates deadly risks, particularly for people with existing health conditions. Rep. Judy Chu led 31 members of Congress in demanding accountability following deaths at Adelanto, marking official recognition that the pattern requires action. As ICE custody mortality reaches record levels, the documented pattern of deaths across Fort Bliss, Adelanto, Florence, and other facilities is drawing scrutiny from lawmakers and advocates. The common thread—medical negligence and delayed care—points to conditions that are preventable through proper facility operations and medical oversight.