Man dies in ICE custody at Georgia detention center; cause under investigation
A man in ICE custody died last week at a South Georgia detention facility, officials said.
ICE said Denny Adan Gonzalez, a 33-year-old Cuban national, was found unresponsive in his cell at the Stewart Detention Center on April 28.
Staff began CPR and emergency crews continued life-saving efforts, but he was pronounced dead at 11:11 p.m. The suspected cause of death is suicide, though the official cause remains under investigation.
Gonzalez had been in ICE custody since January 2026 after his arrest in December 2025 by the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina on charges of assault on a female and domestic violence.
According to ICE, Gonzalez first entered the United States near Hidalgo, Texas, in May 2019 and was later ordered removed by an immigration judge. He was deported to Cuba in January 2020 but re-entered the U.S. unlawfully and was encountered again by Border Patrol in April 2022. He was later released under an order of supervision and reported to ICE in Charlotte until September 2025.
ICE said it has notified the Department of Homeland Security, the Office of Inspector General and the Office of Professional Responsibility. The Cuban Embassy and Gonzalez’s next of kin have also been notified, in accordance with policy.
The agency said detainees receive medical, dental and mental health screenings within 12 hours of arrival, along with access to care and emergency services throughout their detention.
