A member of the Arizona’s Legislature is calling for more answers after the death of a Mexican national from Flagstaff in ICE detention.
Rep. Mariana Sandoval (D-Goodyear) says more information is needed after the death of Lorenzo Antonio Batrez Vargas.
The 32-year-old was detained in July following an arrest by the Phoenix Police Department, according to ICE, and was being held at the Central Arizona Florence Correctional Center.
The agency has said only that he died in a Mesa hospital on the morning of Aug. 31 and that his cause of death is under investigation.
A spokesperson with CoreCivic, the prison company that operates the facility,
said the company was are "unable to comment on a specific individual's medical record" and referred questions to ICE.
A GoFundMe page set up by Batrez Vargas' family says he was without medical attention and may have died from complications of COVID.
This week, Sandoval said Batrez Vargas should have been protected under U.S. law and given adequate medical care.
"The death of Lorenzo Vargas was tragic and avoidable," Sandoval said in a statement. "He was a person in custody, which implies protection under our laws and adequate medical care, which clearly did not happen."
Sandoval also called on ICE to provide lifesaving care to Phoenix woman Arbella Rodriguez Marquez — a legal permanent resident of the US who was detained by ICE earlier this year. Her family reports she’s had no medical support for her leukemia while held at the Eloy Detention Center, despite calls from Rep. Yassamin Ansari and others.
In an emailed response to questions about access to medical care and other issues in detention, an ICE spokesperson said claims of "inhumane" conditions were “false” and said detainees have access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care, along with an initial health screening upon entry to facilities.
Batrez Vargas is the 12th person to die in ICE detention this year, according to agency data. It’s the highest number since 2020.
