An autopsy has ruled the death of Geraldo Lunas Campos, a Cuban immigrant in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at a Texas detention facility, a homicide, per a report by The Hill. According to the El Paso County Medical Examiner's Office, the cause of death was asphyxia due to neck and torso compression, with abrasions found on the knees and chest of Lunas Campos. The victim's neck also had hemorrhages, consistent with a struggle.
In a separate but similar case, the same medical examiner's office has further ruled that the death of Paul Dominguez, while in the custody of El Paso police last month, was a homicide caused by positional asphyxia during law enforcement subdual and restraint, as per KTSM. Contributing conditions included methamphetamine toxicity and cardiovascular disease. The El Paso Police Department has since stated that they are committed to a transparent and thorough fact-examination with ongoing separate investigations by their Crimes Against Persons unit, the Texas Rangers, and their Internal Affairs Division.
Focusing back on the ICE custody case, a witness claimed they saw at least five guards hold Lunas Campos down, with one putting an arm around his neck, as reported by PBS NewsHour. The autopsy report detailed various injuries consistent with physical restraint. These accounts have brought increased scrutiny upon ICE's conduct, already under fire after the fatal shooting of a woman by an ICE officer in Minneapolis, and for the detention of migrants across the country.
After these autopsy findings, ICE attempted to clarify Luna Campos's death, suggesting he was violently resisting and trying to take his own life. However, New York court records unearthed by The Hill indicated Lunas Campos was previously convicted on charges of criminal possession of a weapon, larceny, and sexual contact with a child. ICE emphasized these convictions in their statements post-autopsy release, as they push forward to investigate the incident internally.
Both incidents have propelled conversations regarding the treatment of detainees and those in custody, especially after additional recent deaths reported at that same ICE facility. Rep. Veronica Escobar has called for a thorough briefing by DHS and ICE leadership regarding these matters, demanding the preservation of evidence and consideration of shutting down the facility in question, as conveyed by PBS NewsHour.
