ICE facility deaths: 2 die in Georgia; Ossoff, Warnock call for investigation

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LUMPKIN, GA - MAY 4: The Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Ga. (Photo by Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

GEORGIA - Two people have died in Georgia while in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody this year, prompting U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock to demand an investigation into the deaths and broader in-custody conditions.

ICE-custody deaths in Georgia

What we know:

According to ICE, the first death occurred May 5. Abelardo Avelleneda-Delgado, 68, a Mexican citizen, became unresponsive while being transported by an ICE contractor to the Stewart Detention Center. EMS was called, but ICE said paramedics did not attempt lifesaving measures after determining Avelleneda-Delgado had no pulse. The Webster County coroner pronounced him dead at 1:25 p.m. The coroner told FOX 5 he is still waiting on an autopsy report from the state crime lab.

ICE said Avelleneda-Delgado had illegally entered the U.S. multiple times since the 1990s and had been deported and reentered previously. Between 2005 and 2021, he faced several charges from multiple law enforcement agencies, including simple battery — family violence and cruelty to children. He was on probation when he was arrested in April.

The second death happened June 7 at the Stewart Detention Center. ICE said Jesus Molina-Veya, 45, also a Mexican citizen, was found with a cloth ligature around his neck. Medical staff cut the cloth and performed CPR before he was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The Stewart County coroner ruled the death a suicide by hanging.

ICE reported that Molina-Veya, who had entered the U.S. illegally at least four times since the 1990s, had been deported three times and charged with crimes ranging from simple battery to child molestation and false imprisonment. He was arrested in April 2024 for a probation violation in Gwinnett County.

National context

Big picture view:

ICE said 13 in-custody deaths have been reported nationwide this year, up from 11 for all of 2024. 

The agency said that whenever someone dies in custody, officials notify next of kin, appropriate consulates, DHS and ICE stakeholders, Congress, and the public. A release is posted on the agency’s website within two business days.

Senators’ letter to Homeland Security Secretary

What they're saying:

Ossoff and Warnock sent a letter Tuesday to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons calling on the Trump administration to release more information on the Georgia deaths and explain how ICE is addressing in-custody conditions.

"We write with serious alarm regarding the rise in the number of deaths in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody nationwide. We are especially concerned by the deaths of two individuals in ICE custody in Georgia this year," the senators wrote.

The letter cited past allegations of civil rights and civil liberties violations at Stewart Detention Center, including claims of sexual abuse, medical neglect, solitary confinement, overcrowding, barriers to legal representation, forced labor, and poor food conditions.

The senators asked DHS and ICE to respond to 15 specific concerns, including how ICE works to prevent suicides in custody.

Republican response

The other side:

FOX 5 has reached out to ICE and Gov. Brian Kemp’s office for comment on the deaths and the senators’ request for an investigation.