Full Breakdown
Death of Georgian Detainee Highlights Ongoing Concerns at ICE Facility in Louisiana
6/9/2026, 7:33:08 AM
Death of Mamuka Artmeladze at Winn Correctional Center
Mamuka Artmeladze, a 43-year-old Georgian, was found unresponsive on June 4 at the Winn Correctional Center in Winnfield, Louisiana, an ICE-run detention facility. Staff performed lifesaving measures and transferred him to a local hospital, where a physician pronounced him dead less than an hour later. The cause of death remains pending an autopsy.
Heightened Scrutiny of ICE Detention Conditions
Artmeladze’s death is the 19th detainee fatality in ICE custody since Jan 1, 2024, and the second at Winn since April 11. The case arrives amid heightened congressional and advocacy scrutiny of ICE facilities, which critics allege suffer medical neglect and inhumane conditions. ICE has denied these allegations.
Facility Management and Oversight
The facility is operated by the Winn Parish Sheriff’s Office under contract with LaSalle Corrections, while oversight rests with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General.
Detention-Related Deaths: Numbers and Trends
Since the start of the second Trump administration, 50 detainees have died while in ICE custody, according to ABC News analysis. In the first 14 months of that period, the death toll exceeded any recent year except 2020, when COVID-19 contributed to fatalities.
Agency Statements and Recent Inspection Findings
ICE announced that staff performed lifesaving measures and that a physician pronounced Artmeladze deceased, while noting the cause of death awaits autopsy results. The DHS Office of Inspector General’s recent unannounced inspection cited violations in environmental health, food safety, medical record-keeping, and use-of-force policies. ICE agreed to nine corrective recommendations, some already implemented.
Criticism and Opposition from Advocacy Groups
Immigrant rights groups and several lawmakers argue that the documented health-care lapses and use-of-force incidents constitute systemic neglect, calling for independent monitoring and stricter federal standards. They also criticize ICE’s recent termination of a policy that required reporting deaths occurring within 30 days of a detainee’s release, a rule instituted during the Biden administration.
Conflicting Reports and Gaps in Information
The autopsy report for Artmeladze has not been released, leaving the precise cause of death unknown. While ICE counts 19 deaths in 2024, ABC News cites 50 deaths across the second Trump administration, reflecting differing reporting scopes.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Despite lifesaving efforts, at approximately 11:22 p.m., an onsite physician at Winn Parish Medical Center pronounced Artmeladze deceased,” — ICE spokesperson
- “His official cause of death is currently pending an autopsy.” — ICE spokesperson
- “ICE took him into custody after officials determined he had no lawful status to remain in the United States,” — ICE spokesperson
- “The inspection also found violations of use-of-force policies, including an officer who put a detainee in a banned chokehold and a second officer who stabbed a detainee’s thumb with a pen after the detainee refused to remove his hand from a door.” — DHS Office of Inspector General
What’s Next
ICE plans to complete remaining corrective actions and will undergo further OIG monitoring in coming months. The agency also intends to publish a detailed report on the autopsy findings once available.
