A 56-year-old Mexican-born lawful permanent resident of the United States has died in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at a detention facility in Texas, according to federal authorities. Emiliano Andrade-Covarrubias, a resident of Dallas, died on October 17 after being found unresponsive in his bed at the Rio Grande Processing Center in Laredo.
Emergency personnel attempted to revive Andrade-Covarrubias after he was discovered unresponsive, but the efforts were unsuccessful, according to a report by Newsweek published on October 21.
“The cause of death is unknown,” ICE officials said in a statement on Tuesday. “An autopsy will determine the official cause of death.”
Andrade-Covarrubias had been arrested by US Customs and Border Protection agents in June and was subsequently held at the immigration detention facility. Federal authorities have not provided further details about the circumstances surrounding his arrest or the events leading up to his death.
According to ICE, Andrade-Covarrubias had several pre-existing health conditions, including diabetes, hypertension and anxiety. The agency maintained that he received appropriate medical care while in custody.
However, the official cause of death remains undetermined pending the results of the autopsy. Authorities have not released further information about his medical condition immediately before he was found unresponsive or the treatment he received at the facility.
Andrade-Covarrubias was a lawful permanent resident, commonly known as a green card holder, which generally allows a foreign national to live and work permanently in the United States. His case has drawn attention because of his immigration status and the circumstances of his death while detained by federal authorities.
ICE operates detention facilities across the country to hold people facing immigration proceedings or awaiting removal. Deaths in immigration custody can prompt questions about detainees’ access to healthcare, medical monitoring and the conditions in which they are held.
In Andrade-Covarrubias’s case, however, the available information does not establish what caused his death or whether any failures in medical care contributed to it.
The autopsy is expected to help determine the official cause of death. No further details about the findings or any additional investigation had been made public in the report.
The circumstances surrounding Andrade-Covarrubias’s death remain under scrutiny as authorities await the medical findings.
