The death was confirmed by U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, who said the 56-year-old Mexican national was found unresponsive in his cell. He’s the seventh person in Texas to die while detained by ICE this year.
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Emiliano Andrade-Covarrubias was found unresponsive by staff at the Rio Grande Processing Center during a security check at around 10 a.m. Saturday, Cuellar said. Staff performed CPR and called emergency services.
Andrade-Covarrubias is the seventh person to die while detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Texas this year — the first being Geraldo Lunas Campos, whose death was [ruled a homicide](https://www.texastribune.org/2026/01/21/texas-el-paso-immigrant-death-ice-custody-homicide/) by the El Paso Medical Examiner’s office in January.
He’s also the second to die in an ICE facility in Laredo this year. Felix Alcorta-Rodriguez, a 63-year-old Mexican who was being held at Webb County Detention Center, died on June 19 after being found unresponsive, [according to the agency](https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/criminal-illegal-alien-mexico-passes-away-ice-custody).
Andrade-Covarrubias’ daughter, Estefani Andrade, told the Tribune that her family has not yet been contacted by federal agencies. Instead, she said, they heard about his death on Saturday through the Webb County Medical Examiner, which is performing his autopsy.
If you think there is a different word I should use instead, please share.
I’m open to other suggestions, I don’t love the word either. Since it implies possible criminal behavior, and being undocumented or having a previously expired visa is not a crime. However I don’t know of a word that means to be held as a political prisoner, or when an innocent person is placed in a concentration camp by a fascist regime.
For the record, to be detained means to be kept in custody, often against one’s will. In the USA, this is supposed to be temporary until the person is either released or convicted. But we have seen that is not true at concentration camps where people are held indefinitely, sometimes for years.
To be detained is different from being convicted of a crime. And anyone held in custody, even if just for a few minutes to answer questions is technically detained.
Enslaved or imprisoned.
I don’t think you are intentionally trying to make light of the situation. You are using the proper term for the concentration camps. I’m just trying to move us away from “detained” as well.
Regardless of the dictionary definition, the connotations are “temporary movement restriction”. Which is not nearly severe enough a term. That’s why the regime uses it.
Probably interned or black bagged
I’ll consider interned in the future. The issue with that word is people confused it with interning (like at a company)