The U.S. government has agreed not to deport six potential witnesses in the death of a migrant at an El Paso ICE detention center that the city’s medical examiner ruled a “homicide,” the El Paso Times reports.
A Department of Homeland Security attorney and a lawyer for the family of Geraldo Luna Campos, the 55-year-old Cuban migrant who died in custody, agreed to a preliminary injunction barring the feds from deporting the migrants until they’re deposed about what the saw leading up to the inmate’s death, according to the newspaper.
“The testimony of independent witnesses who do not work for the facility and do not work for the government is critical to making sure we have a clear picture of what happened,” Christopher Benoit, the attorney for Lunas Campos’ family, told the El Paso Times.
Lunas Campos died Jan. 3 while being held in Camp East Montana, the largest ICE detention center in the U.S. The El Paso Medical Examiner’s office last week ruled his death a homicide.
The autopsy report says Lunas Campos became “unresponsive while being physically restrained by law enforcement,” according to the Texas Tribune. His medical records show that he experienced bipolar disorder and anxiety.
ICE officials said in a Jan. 9 press statement that Lunas Campos died after “experiencing medical distress.” Roughly a week later, the agency changed its story, telling the Associated Press he died after attempting suicide and that detention staff tried to save him.
The federal government has recorded four deaths in the last two months in migrant detention centers across Texas. Three have been at Camp East Montana.
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