An autopsy has determined that Cuban immigrant Geraldo Lunas Campos died from asphyxiation due to neck and torso compression while in ICE custody in Texas. This contradicts ICE's claim that he died during a suicide attempt. Prisoner testimonies describe guards violently subduing him after he requested medication.
The incident took place at an ICE jail on the Fort Bliss military base in Texas. Several prisoners testified that they heard 55-year-old father of four Geraldo Lunas Campos pleading for medication shortly before guards tackled him to the ground. One witness, in a sworn court declaration, recounted hearing a guard tell Campos, “Shut up or we’re going to make you faint.” The witness added: “The last thing I heard was Geraldo speak in a voice that sounded like he couldn’t breathe. He said, ‘Let go of me. You’re asphyxiating me.’”.
ICE claimed the man died while staff were attempting to save him after a suicide attempt. However, the autopsy found that the cause of death was asphyxiation due to neck and torso compression. According to an Associated Press report, a witness saw Lunas Campos handcuffed as at least five guards held him down, with one putting an arm around his neck and squeezing until he was unconscious.
This case highlights concerns over the treatment of immigrants in federal detention, particularly amid intensified immigration operations. No further details on Campos's background or the investigation's status are available in the sources.
