By EFE
A Georgian immigrant 43-year-old died while in custody of the Preserve a watch on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Service in Louisiana, becoming the nineteenth person to die in an immigration detention center so far 2026as reported this Monday by US authorities.
The victim was identified as Mamuka Artmeladzeoriginally from Georgia. According to official information, he was found unconscious on the night of June 4 inside his cell in the Winn Correctional Centera facility that in recent months has faced complaints for alleged negligence in caring for detainees.
Although a non-public doctor provided emergency assistance and he was subsequently transferred to a nearby sanatorium, the immigrant was declared dead approximately two hours later. Until now, the cause of death It remains under investigation and the result of the autopsy is awaited.
Detention center under investigation
Artmeladze’s death represents the second recorded in less than two months inside the Winn Correctional Center, located in Louisiana. The facility has been the subject of questions from organizations defending the rights of migrants, who have denounced possible deficiencies in medical care and detention conditions.
According to ICE, Artmeladze was initially detained by the United States Border Patrol in September 2022. Although he received conditional release, he did not comply with the instruction to appear before the immigration authorities within the established period.
Deaths in immigration custody increase
The immigrant was arrested again on February 5 during an operation aimed at drivers of commercial vehicles who, according to authorities, represented a risk to public safety.
With this case, they are already 19 immigrants died in ICE custody in 2026a figure that maintains attention on the immigration detention system in the United States.
The records further show that 2025 closed with 32 deaths in ICE custodythe highest number reported in more than two decades. Civil organizations have requested greater supervision of detention centers and a review of medical protocols to avoid new tragedies.
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