Second Vietnamese man dies in ICE custody this year

A federal investigation has been launched after Tien Xuan Phan, a 55-year-old Vietnamese national, died while being held at the ICE Processing Center in Karnes County, Texas.

What happened: Phan had been detained for seven weeks after being arrested on June 2 for failing to comply with a 2012 removal order. According to ICE, Phan began experiencing seizures, vomiting and unresponsiveness on July 18. He was first taken to Otto Kaiser Memorial Hospital, then airlifted to Methodist Hospital Northeast in San Antonio, where he died the next day.

Medical details and review: ICE officials stated that Phan died of natural causes, but the official cause has not been confirmed. Authorities said all required notifications were made to the Department of Homeland Security and other federal oversight agencies. A formal review is ongoing, including an examination of Phan’s medical care and the circumstances leading up to his death.

Among many: Earlier this year, another Vietnamese national, Nhon Ngoc Nguyen, also 55, died in ICE custody at a hospital in El Paso. Nguyen had dementia and was found by autopsy to have died of acute pneumonia. ICE has reported eight deaths in its custody so far this year compared to 12 deaths last year. Advocacy groups and former officials say the true number could be higher and continue to call for stronger medical safeguards and more transparency for detainees with serious health conditions.