ICE Custody Death Toll Hits 60 Under Trump Administration

Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) condemned the incident as a failure of basic oversight, calling for the facility to be shut down and for the federal government to dismantle ICE entirely. Sandoval had been detained in New Jersey on October 2 and transferred to the Georgia facility just days before his death. While the agency stated that staff and emergency medical responders attempted life-saving measures, the circumstances surrounding his final hours remain under investigation.

The Folkston facility, operated by the private firm GEO Group, has faced persistent scrutiny over the treatment of its detainees. Earlier this month, approximately 500 individuals held at the center launched a hunger strike, citing poor living conditions and a lack of due process in their asylum claims. Attorneys have documented severe complaints regarding water quality, including reports of skin rashes and hair loss. Just one day before Sandoval’s death, Georgia Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock demanded an immediate federal inquiry into the center’s treatment of those on hunger strike.

This is not the first fatality at the site. In April 2024, Jaspal Singh died after receiving medical care that an internal review later identified as contributing to his passing. Austin Kocher, a research fellow at American University, noted that the current rate of deaths in ICE custody—averaging one every ten days this year—reflects a broader climate of neglect toward migrants. Advocates argue the facility has become a focal point for systemic failures that prioritize detention over human life.