Death of Jesús Manuel Arenas-Silva Highlights Ongoing ICE Custody Fatalities

On Monday, July 13 2026, Jesús Manuel Arenas-Silva, a 45-year-old Venezuelan detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), was found unresponsive on a transport bus traveling from the privately run Ir-win County Detention Center in Georgia to the Folkston ICE Processing Center. Staff called emergency services and he was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. ICE listed “cardiac arrest” as the suspected cause. This marks the 22nd death in ICE custody in 2026 and follows a record 33 deaths reported in 2025, the highest in over two decades.

The Guardian

Arenas-Silva entered the United States in 2021, was apprehended by Border Patrol in California, and received a removal order to Venezuela from an Atlanta immigration judge in April 2026. He was arrested during a “targeted enforcement action” in Dallas, Georgia, on Thursday, July 9. The Ir-win County facility, whose contract with ICE was terminated in 2021 after a whistleblower alleged medical abuse, has a history of allegations, including non-consensual gynecological procedures reported in 2020 and a 2022 Senate subcommittee finding of excessive invasive exams on female detainees.

The Guardian

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not immediately comment on the family’s claims about withheld medication. ICE’s press release noted the arrest date and transfer details but provided no further explanation. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal posted on X that “we must continue to fight for accountability for everyone who has lost a loved one.” United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called for “prompt, independent, impartial and effective investigations” into U.S. immigration-detention deaths.

The Guardian

Immigrants’ rights groups in Georgia allege that Arenas-Silva was denied essential medication despite repeated family requests. Azadeh Shahshahani, legal and advocacy director for Project South, described the Ir-win County Center as “notorious” and condemned ICE’s “callous disregard” of his humanity, urging the agency’s abolition. The family is demanding an independent investigation, joining broader advocacy against the use of for-profit detention facilities.

The Guardian

• “I am 100% certain that he did not receive proper care,” — Sister, unnamed

The Guardian

• “He should have never been detained at the notorious Irwin County Detention Center, especially given his medical condition,” — Azadeh Shahshahani, Project South

The Guardian

• “ICE’s callous disregard towards the humanity of Jesus Manuel Arenas-Silva, not even allowing him to take along his essential medication, is abominable. They must be held accountable. And this agency must be abolished immediately.” — Azadeh Shahshahani, Project South

The Guardian

• “We must continue to fight for accountability for everyone who has lost a loved one,” — Rep. Pramila Jayapal

The Guardian

• “prompt, independent, impartial and effective investigations” — Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

The Guardian