A 22-year-old asylum-seeker from Guatemala who was detained by U.S. immigration authorities on Sunday.
Maria Celéste Ochoa Yoc de Ramírez became the eighth immigrant to die in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) this [fiscal] year, according to Buzzfeed News.
Officials confirmed to the news outlet that Ochoa Yoc de Ramírez died of “autoimmune hepatitis, complicated by septic shock and acute liver failure” at a hospital in Fort Worth, Tex.
Ochoa Yoc de Ramírez’s death reignites questions about the state of ICE’s detainment centers, but the department says that they are “committed” to the well-being of its detainees, but that an investigation has been launched into the death.
“ICE is firmly committed to the health and welfare of all those in its custody and is undertaking a comprehensive agency-wide review of this incident, as it does in all such cases,” the agency said in a statement Monday.
ICE officials say that Ochoa Yoc de Ramírez was first apprehended by Border Patrol in September after crossing the southern border without documents near Hidalgo, Tex. She was subsequently transferred to ICE custody.
The growing number of detainees is thanks to Trump’s aggressive war on immigration.
“Sorry, can’t let them into our Country,” Trump tweeted about undocumented migrants in July. “If too crowded, tell them not to come to USA, and tell the Dems to fix the Loopholes – Problem Solved!”
He also lashed out at reports from the media that the conditions sub-standard.
“Friday’s tour showed vividly, to politicians and the media, how well run and clean the children’s detention centers are. Great reviews! Failing @nytimes story was FAKE! The adult single men areas were clean but crowded – also loaded up with a big percentage of criminals……”
