Mexican green card holder dies in ICE custody in Laredo
Mexico's foreign ministry demands an investigation into the death of Emiliano Andrade, 56, a legal permanent resident. ICE says he received adequate care; his daughter says he was denied his medication.
Emiliano Andrade Covarrubias, a 56-year-old Mexican man from Dallas, died Saturday, Oct. 17 at the Rio Grande Processing Center in Laredo, Texas, across the border from Nuevo Laredo. The facility is run by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Staff found him unresponsive and pronounced him dead about 20 minutes later. The cause has not been determined; the Webb County medical examiner is conducting the autopsy.
Mexico's Foreign Ministry demanded a "prompt, thorough and transparent" investigation, announced a complaint to the Webb County prosecutor and said its embassy will seek consular access to detention centers. The ministry counts 18 Mexicans who have died in immigration custody or during enforcement operations since Jan. 20, 2025.
ICE acknowledges that Andrade was a lawful permanent resident but says he obtained the status through fraud, because he omitted a 2004 arrest for theft. The agency was seeking to deport him. His daughter, Estefani Andrade, says he did disclose it and that the authorities approved his card.
ICE says his medical care was adequate. Estefani Andrade says staff never gave him the medication he brought and ignored his complaints of chest pressure and difficulty breathing.
Andrade was detained June 26 as he returned from Mexico through a Laredo port of entry, and his immigration hearing was set for Nov. 2. His is the seventh death in ICE custody in Texas this year and the second in Laredo, after that of Felix Alcorta-Rodriguez on June 19.
Rep. Henry Cuéllar, the Democrat who represents Laredo, asked for medical records and surveillance video. Any death in federal custody is a serious matter, he said, and answers are needed on what happened.
ICE had not responded publicly as of Oct. 20.
A member of Esperanza Migrante said Thursday that Andrade spent four months in detention without his diabetes and hypertension medication. The organization is urging Mexico to take the case to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. That is the group's account, not an official finding.
A valid green card did not spare him four months in detention while his case was pending. The Mexican Consulate General in Laredo is supporting the family.
