A 44-Year Old Mexican Man Has Died in ICE Custody in Georgia

A Mexican national in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) died in Georgia after he went into cardiac arrest and could not be revived, the agency said Thursday.

Prior to his death at a local hospital, Pedro Arriago-Santoyo, 44, was detained at the Stewart Detention Facility in Lumpkin, Georgia while awaiting deportation. He is the seventh migrant to die in ICE custody since October last year, according to the news release from ICE.

Arriago-Santoyo reported experiencing abdominal pain last Saturday. Following a medical assessment, he was transferred by ambulance to a regional hospital, and later to a medical center for surgery consultation due to a suspected gall bladder disease. It was there that he went into cardiac arrest twice. Staff were able to restore his vitals the first time, though he was left comatose. Placed on a ventilator and moved to the intensive care unit, he went into cardiac arrest again two days later and was unable to be revived. He was pronounced dead around 3 p.m. Wednesday.

The Mexican consulate reportedly told ICE representatives have not been able to contact his relatives.

The cause of death has been identified as cardio-pulmonary arrest secondary to multi-organ system failure, endocarditis, dilated cardiomyopathy and respiratory failure.

ICE said it is “firmly committed to the health and welfare of all those in its custody and is undertaking a comprehensive agency-wide review of this incident.”

Earlier this month, a 30-year-old Honduran national passed away at a hospital in Texas after being found unconscious in his dormitory the day before.

According to ICE, Arriago-Santoyo has been in custody since April after he was arrested for public drunkenness and probation violations. He was ordered on June 6 to be deported to Mexico, and was awaiting removal at the time of his death.