Conflicting accounts are rippling through El Paso after a 55-year-old man held at Camp East Montana died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody. Family members and fellow detainees say he was choked during a struggle with guards, while federal officials have characterized what happened first as a medical emergency and later as an attempted suicide.
Medical Examiner's Preliminary Finding
In a recording shared with the family, an employee at the El Paso County Office of the Medical Examiner told the detainee's daughter that the office's preliminary autopsy lists "asphyxia due to neck and chest compression" and that "our doctor believes that we're going to be listing the manner of death as homicide," according to The Washington Post. A forensic pathologist quoted by the Post explained that a "homicide" designation means another person's actions contributed to the death but "does not necessarily imply any intention to kill." The medical examiner's final autopsy and toxicology results are still pending.
ICE and DHS Accounts
Immigration and Customs Enforcement initially told the public that detainee Geraldo Lunas Campos was pronounced dead after "experiencing medical distress" while in segregation at Camp East Montana, according to the Associated Press. After questions mounted, the Department of Homeland Security revised its description and said Campos "violently resisted the security staff and continued to attempt to take his life," adding that medical staff and EMTs tried to resuscitate him while the situation remained under investigation.
Witness Accounts and Internal Logs
A detainee who said he was housed in the same segregation unit told reporters he saw at least five guards struggle with Campos, that one guard put an arm around Campos's neck, and that Campos repeatedly cried "No puedo respirar" before he fell silent, per The Washington Post. The Post also reported that it reviewed an internal ICE log referencing an "immediate" use-of-force incident. ICE and the medical examiner's office declined to confirm the final manner-of-death classification to reporters.
Investigations and Local Reaction
Family members say they have struggled to get clear information. The Associated Press reported that relatives contacted the FBI and that an agent took down their account, while the Department of Homeland Security would not say whether any additional agencies were involved in the investigation. Advocates have seized on the autopsy details as further evidence of systemic problems at the facility, and the ACLU renewed its calls this week to close Camp East Montana and overhaul oversight of privately run detention operations.
What This Means for El Paso
First, ICE's notice that a Cuban national had died at the Fort Bliss tent camp, and the newly surfaced autopsy details and witness accounts have intensified local demands for transparency and accountability, as per Hoodline. The county medical examiner's final report, along with any subsequent federal or criminal inquiries, will determine whether agency practices or contractor oversight must change. For now, the gap between official statements and the preliminary autopsy findings has left families and advocates pressing for clearer answers.
