The family of Geraldo Lunas Campos, a 55-year-old Cuban immigrant who died in ICE custody in January, has sued guards and contractors at Camp East Montana in El Paso, alleging that his death followed months of untreated mental illness and inadequate care at the privately run detention facility.
Medical records reviewed by The Washington Post show that Lunas Campos, who had bipolar disorder and anxiety, repeatedly complained about his medication, expressed suicidal thoughts and reported self-harm before his death. Three months earlier, guards found him with a sheet tied around his neck, and staff discussed transferring him to "a higher level of care for mental health treatment," but the transfer did not happen.
The lawsuit alleges that guards restrained Lunas Campos after he became agitated over not receiving medication, putting pressure on his neck and chest until "his body went limp." The El Paso County Office of the Medical Examiner ruled his death a homicide caused by asphyxia due to neck and torso compression. A homicide ruling means another person caused the death, but does not establish intent to kill.
The Department of Homeland Security disputed the family's account to The Post. Spokeswoman Lauren Bis said Lunas Campos "attempted to take his own life" and that "security staff immediately intervened to save his life." ICE has said the FBI is investigating the incident.
Records reviewed by The Post show that Lunas Campos began complaining about medication soon after arriving at Camp East Montana in September 2025. In November, a note in his file said he went four days without medication. A cellmate told The Post that on the day he died, Lunas Campos repeatedly asked staff for medication before being taken to segregation.
Lunas Campos was one of at least 20 people to die in ICE custody so far in 2026, according to the National Immigration Project. ICE reported 33 detainee deaths in 2025, the highest annual total in more than two decades, while the agency continues to hold more than 60,000 people in detention.
His death has also renewed scrutiny of Camp East Montana. Less than two weeks later, ICE reported another death at the same facility, calling it a "presumed suicide." A June Government Accountability Office report found that man had been placed in a medical holding room rather than a suicide-resistant cell and left unattended for long periods despite suicide risk factors.
