Man Dies in ICE Custody at Texas Jail Operated by GEO Group
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A 56-year-old Mexican man held at a federal immigration facility in Laredo was found dead in his cell Saturday morning, his daughter and U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, confirmed to The Texas Tribune.
Emiliano Andrade-Covarrubias was found unresponsive by staff at the Rio Grande Processing Center during a security check at around 10 a.m. Saturday, Cuellar said. Staff performed CPR and called emergency services.
Andrade-Covarrubias is the seventh person to die while detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Texas this year — the first being Geraldo Lunas Campos, whose death was ruled a homicide by the El Paso Medical Examiner’s office in January.
He’s also the second to die in an ICE facility in Laredo this year. Felix Alcorta-Rodriguez, a 63-year-old Mexican who was being held at Webb County Detention Center, died on June 19 after being found unresponsive, according to the agency.
The GEO Group, which operates the facility, referred the Tribune to ICE. Officials with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent Sunday and Monday.
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Andrade-Covarrubias’ daughter, Estefani Andrade, told the Tribune that her family has not yet been contacted by federal agencies. Instead, she said, they heard about his death on Saturday through the........
