May 20th, 2015 José de Jesús Deniz-Sahagun died in ICE custody in the Eloy Detention Center in Pinal County. While the official autopsy conducted by the Pima County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death a suicide by lodging a sock in his own throat, many activists contest this categorization and are demanding answers on the six year anniversary of Deniz-Sahagun’s death.
On may 19th, 2015, the day after Deniz-Sahagun was brought to the facility he was evaluated for “delusional thoughts and behaviors for which he had to be restrained,” and put under constant suicide watch. The next day however he was taken off of this watch and moved to a video monitored cell with checks by security personnel every 15 minutes (AZ Central). It was after this move that Deniz-Sahagun allegedly took his own life.
Activists, protesters and other detainees of the facility believe that Deniz-Sahagun was beaten and ultimately killed by guards. Juan Miguel Cornejo claims to have been detained at the same facility the day of Deniz-Sahagun’s death and says, “Many of us heard him call out for help. I was there when he was beaten by agents and then killed”. (AZ Central).
Chief medical examiner Gregory Hess said that the autopsy showed no signs of beatings, and maintains Deniz-Sahagun died by suicide. Protesters have since called for an independent autopsy to be performed, but one was never conducted.
Thursday, the sixth anniversary of his death, activists alongside friends and family held a vigil in phoenix for Deniz-Sahagun and dozens of others who have died in ICE custody. At the vigil they expressed discontent for private prisons, ICE detainment centers and disappointment in Biden’s immigration policies.
The American Immigration Lawyers Association have reported between 61 and 64 deaths of detainees in ICE facilities since 2015.
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