A 48-year-old Salvadoran immigrant died early Friday morning at the D. Ray ICE Processing Center in Folkston, Georgia, as confirmed by the U.S. immigration agency in an official statement this Saturday.
The victim was identified as Luis Sandoval. According to ICE, the facility staff found him at 1:46 a.m. with a ligature around his neck. Immediate resuscitation efforts were made, and the Charlton County Emergency Medical Services were called, but Sandoval was pronounced dead at 2:28 a.m.
The death is under investigation, and an autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause and manner of death officially. The Georgia Bureau of Investigations has also opened an inquiry at the request of the local sheriff's office.
La muerte de Luis Sandoval se suma a una serie de casos que generan preguntas sobre las condiciones en los centros de detención migratoria. Sigue toda la actualidad sobre para mantenerte informado.
ICE noted in its statement that Sandoval's criminal record includes "convictions for aggravated assault, terrorist threats, receiving stolen property, and theft by unlawful appropriation, as well as a charge for drug possession."
According to the agency, Sandoval entered the United States on a date and in a location unknown, without having been admitted or inspected by an immigration officer. He was detained by the ICE office in Newark, New Jersey, on October 2, and transferred to the Folkston center on October 8, where he awaited his first expulsion hearing.
The death occurs at a particularly tense moment for that detention center. Since October 6, hundreds of detainees have been on a hunger strike in Folkston to protest against the conditions of confinement, lack of medical attention, and prolonged lockdowns without resolution of their immigration cases. Family members and legal representatives estimated up to 500 participants at the peak, although ICE indicated on October 16 that only 13 people were still on strike.
Additionally, several detainees reported that an immigrant was beaten in the center's dining area on October 21, although as of this Saturday, it has not been confirmed whether that person was Sandoval or if the incident was related to his death.
The case of Sandoval adds to a record number of deaths in ICE custody during Donald Trump's second term. The fiscal year 2026 concluded with 37 fatalities, marking the highest annual figure recorded by the agency, which is 61% higher than the 23 in 2025 and over three times the 12 in 2024.
Since Trump's return to the White House in January 2025, nearly 60 immigrants have died in ICE custody, of which 34 are Hispanic, according to data from the agency itself collected by Telemundo.
The immediately preceding case was that of the Mexican Emiliano Andrade Covarrubias, 56 years old, who passed away on October 17 at the Rio Grande Processing Center in Laredo, Texas, as confirmed by ICE.
A study published in April in the medical journal JAMA calculated a mortality rate of 88.9 deaths per 100,000 detainees between October 2025 and January 2026, the highest level in 22 years, surpassing even the peak recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers attributed the increase to overcrowding, potential failures in oversight mechanisms, and delays in medical care.
Relatives of immigrants who have died in custody have reported that their family members suffering from hypertension, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses did not have access to their medications, despite ICE stating in its statement that "at no time during detention is emergency care denied to a detained foreign national."
Related videos:
Filed under: