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Man dies at Georgia immigration detention center amid hunger strike

The Guardian reports that Luis Sandoval, 48, died at a Georgia immigration detention center amid an ongoing hunger strike, which ICE confirmed.

The short version

  • ICE said Luis Sandoval, 48, from El Salvador, died Friday at the D Ray James detention center in Folkston, Georgia.[The Guardian]
  • The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is conducting an in-custody death investigation at the local sheriff's office's request.[The Guardian]
  • Detainees are on a hunger strike, and at least 12 remain in it, one striker says; they allege threats of force-feeding.[The Guardian]
  • It was unknown Saturday whether Sandoval joined the hunger strike; he is the 60th person to die in ICE custody since the start of the second Trump administration.[The Guardian]

Key facts

  • Luis Sandoval, 48, from El Salvador, died Friday at the D Ray James detention center in Folkston, Georgia.[The Guardian]
  • ICE said facility staff found Sandoval with a ligature around his neck at about 1:46 a.m. Friday, and he was pronounced dead less than an hour later.[The Guardian]
  • The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is conducting an in-custody death investigation at the request of the local sheriff's office.[The Guardian]
  • Sandoval is the 60th person to die in ICE custody since the start of the second Trump administration.[The Guardian]
  • At least 12 hunger strikers are still participating at the facility, according to Andrei Gerdiukov.[The Guardian]

What remains uncertain

  • It was unknown Saturday whether Sandoval had participated in the hunger strike.[The Guardian]
  • Allegations that federal officials and contractors threatened hunger strikers with force-feeding come from detainees, a wife, attorneys and advocates and are not independently confirmed in the reporting.[The Guardian]
  • The manner and cause of death are not established in the reporting, and the state investigation is ongoing.[The Guardian]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.