Minnesota leaders call for investigation into death of a man at ICE facility in Texas

Alex Chhith, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Jan 19, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

Minnesota elected officials are calling for a transparent investigation into the death of a man who was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minnesota and later died in federal custody.

Victor Manuel Diaz, 36, died Jan. 14 at Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas. Diaz was detained by ICE in Minneapolis on Jan. 6 after agents determined he was not authorized to be in the country, according to a news release from the agency.

In Texas, ICE says Diaz was found unconscious in his room and medical staff on site conducted live saving measures. EMS arrived 10 minutes after they were called and continued trying to save the man’s life until he was pronounced dead at 4:09 p.m.

ICE believes the man died by suicide, but the official cause of death is under investigation, according to the agency, which announced his death Jan. 18.

Gov. Tim Walz called for an investigation into Diaz’s death. “This is deeply disturbing, especially after reports of growing concerns about the conditions at this facility,” Walz wrote in a post on social media. “An investigation must take place.”

Sen. Amy Klobuchar also called for a “a full and transparent investigation” into Diaz’s death in a post on social media.

Sen. Tina Smith said on social media that the death was “another senseless tragedy” and that ICE has an obligation to keep detainees safe.

According to the El Paso Times, Diaz is the third detainee to die while facing deportation at Camp East Montana, which opened in August. Since then, civil rights advocates have raised concerns about conditions in the facility.

According to ICE, Diaz was from Nicaragua and entered the U.S. in 2024. He was given a final order of removal two days before his death. ICE didn’t cite any other criminal charges.

ICE said the agency is committed to making sure all those in custody are in safe, secure and humane environments.

“All people in ICE custody receive medical, dental and mental health intake screenings 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; access to medical appointments; and 24-hour emergency care,” the agency said in the release.

________

(Minnesota Star Tribune team leader Kelly Smith contributed to this report.)

________