A Nicaraguan immigrant who was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minneapolis on January 6, 2026, later died while being held at an immigration detention facility in El Paso, Texas. This incident comes as the department faces scrutiny following the January 7, 2025, shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good.
During an immigration-related operation on January 7, the mother of three was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. Similar incidents have also occurred in Portland around the same time.
Separately, Victor Manuel Diaz, a 36-year-old man from Nicaragua who was arrested on January 6, became the third detainee to die at the El Paso detention center known as Camp East Montana. His death was pronounced on January 14.
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Since January 1, at least six migrants have died while in detention facilities across the United States. Francisco Gaspar Cristóbal Andrés was the first detainee to die in the camp on December 3 after he was rushed to the hospital. Another 55- year old immigrant from Cuba died on January 3, 2026, at the camp. His death is allegedly said to be a homicide.
According to USA Today, Diaz had been in ICE custody since January 6, after his alleged arrest for illegally entering the country on March 26, 2024.
The medical staff at Camp East Montana was notified about Diaz’s condition the afternoon of January 14 and attempted resuscitation, but he was declared dead at 4:09 pm. After a detainee dies under ICE custody, regulations require notifying Congress, stakeholders, the media, and posting a report on the ICE website within 90 days.
After Diaz’s death, federal officials said, “ICE emphasizes that all detainees receive comprehensive medical care, including screenings and access to emergency services. Emergency care is never denied during their stay.”
A Nicaraguan man died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody last week at the Camp East Montana detention facility, marking the third death reported at the site. https://t.co/4CKdZObUGq pic.twitter.com/Tu8mFMzyju
— ABC News 4 (@ABCNews4) January 18, 2026
After Diaz’s death, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called for an investigation. Senators Tina Smith and Jason Chavez of the Minneapolis City Council released statements mourning Diaz and accusing ICE of kidnapping.
“Rest in peace, Victor Manuel Diaz. He was a Latino immigrant kidnapped by ICE in Minneapolis. He died in ICE custody at Camp East Montana, Texas, while facing deportation,” he said as a part of his long post.
“This is deeply disturbing, especially after reports of growing concerns about the conditions at this facility. An investigation must take place,” Walz posted on X (formerly Twitter).
As Minnesota faces continued protests and condemnation of ICE agents allegedly “terrorizing” people with abrupt arrests, detentions and shootings, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced on Jan. 11 that “hundreds more” federal officers would be sent to the Twin Cities as protests continued.
This is deeply disturbing, especially after reports of growing concerns about the conditions at this facility. An investigation must take place.https://t.co/cJexI9Qv7m
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) January 19, 2026
President Donald Trump used Truth Social on Jan. 15 to warn state politicians that he might invoke the Insurrection Act, which allows the head of state to deploy military forces domestically, raising further concerns about federal intervention.
In 2025, Trump also authorized deployments of National Guard members and federal officers to cities like Los Angeles, Chicago and received immense public backlash from the leaders of those states. Minnesota and Illinois have each filed lawsuits seeking court injunctions to halt immigration enforcement operations in their states.
Consequently, the Trump administration and ICE agents have also received repeated threats and backlash for keeping detainees in unfair and deteriorating conditions in the detention centers.
For instance, Camp East Montana, located on land at Fort Bliss, began receiving detainees in August 2025. As of Dec. 19, the facility was holding 3,080 detainees.
Conditions at the detention center have raised concerns among civil rights advocates and U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar (D–El Paso). Reporting by the El Paso Times found that nearly 90 emergency 911 medical calls were made from the facility during its first 15 weeks of operation.
Other popular and big centres like the Alligator Alcatraz have also been called out for their inhuman living conditions, allegedly comparing them to Nazi concentration camps or a prison.
According to The Mirror U.S, Rep. Maxwell Frost exposed the conditions via a video on TikTok after he visited the facility in July 2025.“It’s literally a spigot that comes from the toilet… The food portions are horrible, it was very hot… I saw people sweating,” he added.
