A Vietnamese national who was in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) passed away due to natural causes last Wednesday at the Long Term Acute Care Hospital in El Paso, Texas, an ICE release confirmed. Nhon Ngoc Nguyen, 55, had come to the United States in 1983 as a legal resident under the Refugee Act of 1980 but later faced legal troubles, resulting in detention by ICE.
Nguyen's journey with the U.S. justice system began after his second-degree murder conviction in California in 1991, which violated the terms of his residency. In 2004, ICE lodged an immigration detainer against him at San Quentin State Prison in California, where he was serving his sentence. Following his release on parole in 2013, Nguyen was transferred to ICE custody and detained at the Yuba County Jail in Marysville, California. Despite an immigration judge ordering Nguyen's removal to Vietnam in December 2013, the lack of a travel document from Vietnam delayed action, resulting in his release from ICE custody under an Order of Supervision in January 2014.
Nguyen's case was shuffled between different ICE offices from San Francisco to Dallas and then to Albuquerque, where ICE officers arrested him in 2020 based on a final order of removal. His health deteriorated while detained at the El Paso Processing Center, prompting multiple transports to the local Long Term Acute Care Hospital for treatment due to "altered mental status, assistance to ambulate and assistance with his activities of daily living," as described by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
ICE officials, coordinating with Nguyen's attorney, tried to contact family members able to take care of him. However, their efforts were unsuccessful, and Nhon Ngoc Nguyen's health continued to decline until his death. ICE notified the next of kin as per protocol. ICE's response to Nguyen's passing and their commitment to detainee welfare were outlined by saying "ICE remains committed to ensuring that all those in its custody reside in safe, secure, and humane environments" and detailing the health care provisions available to detainees, as detailed by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The agency stated that the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General and the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility had been notified about the death. "All people in ICE custody receive medical, dental and mental health intake screening within 12 hours of arriving at each detention facility, a full health assessment within 14 days of entering ICE custody or arrival at a facility, access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care," as per U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Information on detainee deaths, as required by congressional mandates outlined in the DHS Appropriations Bill of 2018, is made public within 90 days on the Detainee Death Reporting page of ICE's website.
