ICE Confirms Dallas Resident Died in Laredo Detention Facility

A 56-year-old Mexican man who had lived in Dallas for decades died in federal immigration custody at the Rio Grande Processing Center in Laredo, Texas, on Saturday morning, Oct. 17, 2026. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed Monday that Emiliano Andrade-Covarrubias was a lawful permanent resident whose death remains under investigation.

ICE said staff found Andrade-Covarrubias unconscious in his bed during a morning check, performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation and contacted emergency services. He was pronounced dead approximately 20 minutes after staff discovered him unresponsive, according to the agency. An autopsy by the Webb County Medical Examiner was pending as of Monday.

Andrade-Covarrubias is the seventh person to die in ICE detention in Texas this year, according to records cited by The Texas Tribune. He is also the second detainee to die at an ICE facility in Laredo in 2026. Felix Alcorta-Rodriguez, 63, died June 19 after being found unresponsive at Webb County Detention Center, the agency said.

ICE said officers detained Andrade-Covarrubias on June 26 when he returned from Mexico through a Laredo port of entry. The agency alleged that he had obtained permanent resident status fraudulently because he failed to disclose a 2004 theft arrest during the application process. He was facing removal proceedings and had an immigration court hearing scheduled for Nov. 2, according to online records.

His daughter, Estefani Andrade, disputed the agency's account of the application process, telling The Texas Tribune that her father had disclosed his criminal record and that immigration officials approved his green card application.

Andrade-Covarrubias had raised three children, all U.S. citizens, in Dallas and earned a living painting apartments and townhomes. His daughter said he frequently traveled to Mexico while building a house there and had been considering returning to the country.

Andrade said her father had a heart condition, diabetes and high blood pressure. She told The Texas Tribune that he brought medication with him when he was detained, but facility staff would not provide it to him.

She also said her father developed a cough and repeatedly felt unwell during detention. His family was concerned because he had been hospitalized with COVID-19 in 2021 and experienced lasting health effects, she said.

According to Andrade, her father sought medical attention but felt staff dismissed his complaints, including difficulty breathing and tightness in his chest. She also told the Tribune that he appeared to have lost weight during detention, based on video calls with family members.

U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Laredo Democrat, visited the detention facility on Sunday and questioned staff about its medical procedures. He said officials could not provide case-specific information because the death remained under investigation and that he had submitted written questions to ICE seeking further details.

Cuellar emphasized the need for accountability in federal detention facilities.

"Any death in federal custody is a serious matter, and we need to know what happened," Cuellar said in a statement Monday.

The facility is operated by The GEO Group, which referred questions from The Texas Tribune to ICE. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to the outlet's requests for comment sent Sunday and Monday, according to the Tribune.

The case follows a June Supreme Court ruling that allows U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at ports of entry to prevent lawful permanent residents with histories of arrests or convictions from reentering the country. In a 6-3 decision, the court ruled that officers do not need clear and convincing evidence of a crime involving moral turpitude to detain a returning resident, while leaving the final decision on green card revocation and deportation to an immigration judge.

Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the majority opinion. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, warning that the decision could undermine the protections associated with permanent residency and leave residents in prolonged immigration proceedings.

Andrade-Covarrubias' cause of death had not been determined as of Monday, while the medical examiner's autopsy remained pending.