A Liberian national died last week while in the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the second death of its kind in Georgia this year.
Forty-four-year-old detainee Cambric Dennis, who had been in the U.S. legally since August 1997, passed away on May 21 at the Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus, Georgia. The cause of death has yet to be announced, according to a recent press release from ICE.
ICE first encountered Dennis last July at a Georgia Department of Corrections facility near Jackson, Georgia, after he was convicted on felony drug trafficking charges. He was booked into the Stewart Detention Center in Columbus in October and was awaiting a hearing before an immigration judge.
In addition to Dennis, the state saw another ICE detainee death last month with Jaspal Singh, a 57-year-old Indian national who spent several months in confinement at the Folkston ICE Processing Center in South Georgia.
“ICE remains committed to ensuring that all those in its custody reside in safe, secure and humane environments,” the press release said regarding Dennis’ passing.
“All people in ICE custody receive medical, dental and mental health intake screening within 12 hours of arriving at each detention facility, a full health assessment within 14 days of entering ICE custody or arrival at a facility, and access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care.”
The death of Dennis is one of a string related to Georgia ICE detention centers in recent years, particularly at Stewart, which holds the reputation as the deadliest detention center in the nation.
Since 2017, 10 people have died while in custody at the facility, two of which were declared suicides.
The facility has also come under fire for the treatment and alleged abuse of those detained there.
In 2022, four immigrant women filed a federal complaint alleging that they were sexually assaulted by the same nurse in 2021.
While all four women had been released at the time of the filing, two of the victims claimed they were threatened with years of jail or prolonged detention when they originally reported the abuse while in detainment.
In 2023, over 200 immigrants held at Stewart petitioned the federal government for better living conditions. They alleged there was mold in pipes, spoiled and burnt food, and they spent several days without hot water.
