A Mexican national and longtime Flagstaff resident has died in immigration detention in Florence, Arizona.
In a Sept. 2 press release, ICE says 32-year-old Lorenzo Antonio Batrez Vargas died on the morning of Aug. 31 at the Mountain Vista Medical Center in Mesa.
He had been detained at the Central Arizona Correctional Complex since July, the agency said, after being arrested by the Phoenix Police Department for aggravated assault and other charges.
ICE did not provide any information about the circumstances leading up to Batrez Vargas' hospitalization and says his cause of death is under investigation.
A GoFundMe campaign set up to help with funeral expenses in Flagstaff says he likely died from complications of COVID-19.
Batrez Vargas is the 12th person this year to die in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, making 2025 the deadliest year in detention since 2020.
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