A Guatemalan man has died while in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at a temporary detention facility in Texas. His wife, detained at the same location, was deported to Guatemala before she could see him in his final days.
Francisco Gaspar-Andrés, 48, passed away in an El Paso hospital on December 3. He had been held for approximately ten weeks at a facility known as Camp East Montana, operating on the Fort Bliss army base. According to ICE, his death was due to natural causes stemming from liver failure.
The case has drawn sharp criticism from immigration advocates and some lawmakers, who cite it as evidence of systemic failures within the detention system. They argue the death highlights concerns over medical care and conditions at the facility.
In a tragic twist, the man’s wife, Lucía Pedro Juan, was removed from the United States on a deportation flight on November 28. In interviews from her hometown in Guatemala, she stated she was never allowed a final visit or conversation with her husband of 25 years after their initial separation in custody. She told reporters she agreed to deportation because she feared for her own health amid the camp’s conditions.
The couple had lived in Florida for nearly two decades, raising five children and operating a small business. Their detention began after a routine traffic stop in September. While ICE maintains that Gaspar-Andrés received appropriate and constant medical attention for a series of ailments during his detention, critics contend his hospitalization came too late.
A county autopsy report listed the official cause of death as complications from alcoholic liver cirrhosis. ICE, in a statement, defended the level of care provided, calling allegations of poor conditions “categorically false.”
The death has intensified scrutiny of the Fort Bliss facility. A Democratic congresswoman representing El Paso has written multiple letters to federal officials, expressing “grave concerns” about operations. She cited ongoing issues reported by detainees, including problems with food quality, access to medication, and legal services.
Legal and advocacy groups have echoed these concerns, suggesting a pattern of inadequate medical response that can have fatal consequences. They warn that without proper oversight, such incidents may continue.
The Guatemalan government stated it was notified of the detainee’s declining health and has requested an investigation into the circumstances of his death.