A 32-year-old man who grew up in Flagstaff has died while in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
His family says he hadn’t received adequate medical care while in detention.
ICE says Lorenzo Antonio Batrez Vargas died at the Mountain Vista Medical Center in Mesa Sunday morning.
According to officials, the cause of death is unknown and under investigation.
In a press release the agency insists those in custody receive comprehensive medical care and 24-hour emergency services.
But in a post to GoFundMe, Batrez Vargas’ family alleges ICE failed to provide him the medical attention he needed while in custody and that he likely died from complications of COVID-19.
ICE had been holding Batrez Vargas, who was a Mexican national, at the Central Arizona Correctional Complex in Florence since early August after he pled guilty to fleeing law enforcement and possession of a controlled substance.
According to a post by Coconino County Supervisor Jeronimo Vasquez, Batraz Vargas grew up in Flagstaff and attended Killip Elementary School.
At least 11 people nationally have died while in ICE custody this year, amid the Trump administration’s widespread immigration crackdown.
