Salvadoran Man Arrested by ICE Newark Dies in Custody at Georgia's Folkston Detention Complex
A 48-year-old man from El Salvador who was arrested by ICE's Newark field office earlier this month died in immigration custody at the Folkston detention complex in southeast Georgia on Friday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Saturday.
ICE identified the man as Luis Sandoval and said in a news release that facility staff found him "with a ligature around his neck" at about 1:46 a.m. on Oct. 23. Staff began life-saving measures and Charlton County Emergency Medical Services responded, but Sandoval was pronounced dead at about 2:28 a.m., according to ICE.
What ICE Said About the Folkston Death
ICE said Sandoval's death is under investigation and an autopsy will be conducted to determine the official cause and manner of death. The agency said he entered the United States on an unknown date at an unknown location without being admitted, inspected or paroled.
According to ICE, Sandoval was arrested by ICE Newark on Oct. 2, 2026, and issued a notice to appear before an immigration judge. He arrived at the Folkston facility on Oct. 8 pending his first removal hearing. ICE said his criminal history includes convictions for aggravated assault, making terroristic threats, receiving stolen property and theft by unlawful taking, as well as a drug possession charge.
The agency said it notified the Department of Homeland Security, the ICE Office of Inspector General and the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility, consistent with its policy.
State Investigation and Hunger Strike Claims
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation confirmed that the local sheriff's office asked it to conduct an "in-custody death investigation," The Guardian reported Saturday. GEO Group, the private company that runs the facilities under a federal contract, referred questions to ICE, according to the outlet.
The death comes as detainees at the complex have been on a hunger strike for nearly three weeks to protest prolonged detention and conditions, according to a detained hunger striker, attorneys and advocates quoted by The Guardian. It was not known whether Sandoval took part in the hunger strike, the outlet reported.
The Guardian reported that Sandoval is the 60th person to die in ICE custody since the start of President Donald Trump's second term. ICE and DHS had not commented to the outlet about the death or the hunger strike as of its report.
Image: ICE headquarters in Washington, D.C. (file photo), Ser Amantio di Nicolao, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.
Yossi Schmidt, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, The Digital Free Press
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Sources: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, "Criminal alien from El Salvador dies in ICE custody in Georgia" (Oct. 24, 2026): https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/criminal-alien-el-salvador-dies-ice-custody-georgia ; The Guardian, "Man detained at Georgia immigration detention center dies as hunger strike continues" (Oct. 24, 2026): https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/24/georgia-ice-man-dies
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