October 21, 2026, 12:17 a.m. ET
A man who died over the weekend while in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody in South Texas was a legal permanent resident who had lived in the state for decades, according to federal authorities and his family members.
Emiliano Andrade-Covarrubias, a 56-year-old Mexican man, was found unconscious in his bed at the Rio Grande Treatment Center in Laredo, Texas, on October 17. Security personnel “declared a medical emergency and immediately initiated life-saving measures,” ICE said in a statement released Oct. 20.
Laredo Fire Department paramedics responded, but Andrade-Covarrubias was pronounced dead at 10:10 a.m. local time, according to ICE. The agency said he had documented health problems, including diabetes, hypertension and anxiety, and received medical treatment while in custody.
The cause of death remains unknown pending an autopsy, ICE said. The Texas Tribune first reported Andrade-Covarrubias’ death on Oct. 18, citing the confirmation of his daughter and Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar.
ICE said Andrade-Covarrubias had been in custody since late June. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents arrested him at the Juárez-Lincoln International Bridge, a port of entry into Laredo, as he was returning from Mexico.
“Andrade, a lawful permanent resident, was determined to have obtained his status through fraudulent means by failing to disclose his previous arrest during the review process,” the agency said in the release. “He was processed and transferred to ICE custody pending deportation proceedings before an immigration judge. He was afforded due process.”
Texas lawmaker seeks answers from ICE
Cuellar, whose district represents Laredo, said he inspected the Rio Grande Treatment Center on Oct. 18 and spoke with staff about medical procedures performed at the facility. Because Andrade-Covarrubias’ death remains under investigation, staff at the facility have not been able to provide specific details about her case, he said.
Following the visit, Cuellar said he submitted seven written questions to ICE seeking additional information. He asked, among other things, whether Andrade-Covarrubias had sought medical care in the 72 hours before his death, what treatments and medications he had received while in custody, and whether prison staff followed medical and emergency response protocols.
Cuellar also requested information about the facility’s medical staffing levels, detention standards and Andrade-Covarrubias’ immigration status, including whether he was a lawful permanent resident of the United States. The congressman said he plans to continue following up with the agency as the investigation progresses.
“My condolences go to the family of Emiliano Andrade-Covarrubias,” Cuellar said in a statement on social media on October 19. “Any death in federal custody is a serious matter, and we need to know what happened.”
Family of man who died in ICE custody dispute
Andrade-Covarrubias’ daughter, Estefani Andrade, disputed ICE’s claims that her father hid his criminal history when applying for permanent residency, according to the Texas Tribune. She told the newspaper that her father revealed his 2004 arrest for theft during the immigration process and that federal authorities approved his green card application.
Andrade-Covarrubias had lived in Dallas for decades, raising three U.S.-born children while working as a painter of apartments and townhouses, the newspaper reported. He frequently traveled to Mexico and built a house there, according to his daughter.
The Tribune also reported that Andrade-Covarrubias suffered from heart problems, diabetes and high blood pressure. He had medication with him when he was arrested, but his daughter told the newspaper that staff at the Rio Grande treatment center would “not give him his medication.”
She said her father sought medical attention after developing a cough, difficulty breathing and chest tightness, but believed his concerns had been ignored, according to the Tribune.
Latest death in ICE custody in Texas
Andrade-Covarrubias is the seventh person to die in custody in Texas this year and the second inmate death reported in Laredo, according to agency records.
The first death of an ICE detainee reported in Texas in 2026 was that of Geraldo Lunas Campos, a 55-year-old Cuban migrant. Lunas Campos died Jan. 3 at Camp East Montana, a detention center in East El Paso near the U.S.-Mexico border.
At the time of his death, Lunas Campos had been detained at this facility for almost four months. His death was later ruled a homicide, according to an autopsy report from the El Paso County medical examiner’s office.
In June, Felix Alcorta-Rodriguez, a 63-year-old Mexican man, died after being found unresponsive at the Webb County Detention Center in Laredo, according to ICE. Agency records show medical personnel identified a blood clot extending from the right atrium to the inferior vena cava during resuscitation efforts.
Andrade-Covarrubias’ death comes amid increased scrutiny of conditions in immigration detention centers across the country. At least 58 people have died in ICE detention centers since President Donald Trump’s second term began in January 2025, according to USA TODAY’s immigration tracker.
Immigrant and civil rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, have expressed concerns about conditions in detention centers and rising numbers of deaths in custody. ICE has disputed allegations of poor conditions, saying it is committed to ensuring the health and safety of those in its custody.
“The agency systematically fails to meet basic human needs, subjecting tens of thousands of people every day to systemic and dangerous medical neglect, unacceptable sanitary conditions, and substandard housing,” the ACLU said in a report released last month. “For many, these dire conditions have led to medical crises and preventable deaths.”
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