The death of an immigrant detainee at a large federal detention facility in El Paso, Texas, has been ruled a homicide, according to a final autopsy report released this week.
The El Paso County medical examiner determined that Geraldo Lunas Campos, a 55-year-old Cuban national, died from asphyxia caused by compression of the neck and torso while in custody at Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Camp East Montana facility at Fort Bliss. The report classified the manner of death as homicide, a medical designation indicating that another person caused the death, regardless of intent.
Lunas Campos died on January 3, but ICE initially described the incident as a case of “medical distress” when it announced his death several days later. At the time, the agency said medical personnel attempted life-saving measures and summoned emergency responders.
In a statement sent to media outlets after the autopsy findings emerged, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security offered a different account. DHS said Lunas Campos had attempted to take his own life, prompting security staff to intervene. According to the agency, he resisted during the encounter, stopped breathing during the struggle, and could not be revived despite emergency medical efforts.
The medical examiner’s findings appear to contradict that narrative. The autopsy noted injuries consistent with physical restraint, including hemorrhaging in the muscles and connective tissues of the neck, superficial abrasions on the body, and signs of pressure-related bleeding around the eyes and neck. The report also stated that Lunas Campos became unresponsive while being restrained by law enforcement personnel.
DHS said the case remains under investigation and emphasized that ICE “takes seriously the health and safety of all individuals in its custody.”
The autopsy report was released in response to a public records request. It notes that Lunas Campos had a documented history of bipolar disorder and anxiety. ICE records indicate he was being held in segregation at the time of his death after reportedly becoming disruptive while waiting for medication and refusing to return to his assigned housing unit.
Lunas Campos had been detained at Camp East Montana since September of last year. Public records show he entered the United States in 1996 and had multiple criminal convictions, including a serious sexual offense involving a minor and unlawful possession of a weapon. ICE said he was ordered removed from the U.S. in 2005, but deportation was delayed because authorities were unable to obtain travel documents.
Camp East Montana, located at Fort Bliss, is currently the largest ICE detention center in the country, holding nearly 3,000 people. According to ICE data, roughly 80% of detainees at the facility do not have criminal convictions. Lunas Campos is the third detainee to die at the site.
DHS has denied that there is a pattern of deaths at the facility, stating that rapid expansion has not compromised standards of care and that detainees have access to medical services comparable to or exceeding those in many U.S. correctional facilities.
The homicide ruling is likely to intensify scrutiny of ICE detention practices, particularly the use of physical restraints and the treatment of detainees with mental health conditions. Civil rights advocates have repeatedly called for greater transparency and independent oversight following deaths in immigration custody.
