A 52-year-old Chinese woman, who was being held by U.S. immigration authorities, committed suicide after being detained at the U.S.-Mexico border. The woman, whose identity has not been revealed, was initially taken into custody for overstaying her visitor visa. She was later transferred to a detention facility in Yuma, Arizona, where she took her own life.
The exact cause of her death remains unclear. An ICE spokesperson told the Tucson Sentinel that she was found "unresponsive in a cell" at the Yuma Border Patrol Station. The disturbing incident came to light on Friday through Democratic Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, who issued a sharply critical statement suggesting possible misconduct by border officials.
ICE Under the Scanner
Jayapal, the top Democrat on the House subcommittee that oversees immigration matters, expressed concern based on early reports, questioning whether officers had adequately performed welfare checks on the detained woman.
"There is no excuse for why agents cannot verify if some of the necessary welfare checks occurred — or why some of the documented welfare checks were incorrectly reported," Jayapal said.
Jayapal said that ICE officials were unable to confirm whether any welfare checks had been conducted, and she also voiced concern about the overall conditions in which immigrants are being held at the detention facilities.
"Another preventable death only increases that concern," she said, per the New York Times.
Jayapal said that the woman had entered the United States on a B-1/B-2 visa, which is issued for short-term travel related to tourism or business.
After she was found unresponsive, ICE personnel administered medical aid and rushed her to a local hospital, where she was later pronounced dead, according to an ICE spokesperson. Authorities reported the incident to the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General, and an internal oversight office has begun an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.
Huge Uproar
Details about the woman's identity and the circumstances of her detention remain unclear. However, The New York Times reported that the incident took place around the same time two Chinese nationals were arrested last week.
According to a post by the U.S. Border Patrol's Yuma Sector on Facebook, a 52-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man were arrested after authorities found over $220,000 concealed in duffel bags.
Officials reported that agents stopped a minivan and found the undocumented individuals inside, along with bundles of cash wrapped in aluminum foil stored in two duffel bags.
The agency said that it intended to charge the two Chinese people under 8 U.S.C. 1182, a statute that bars certain people from obtaining visas or entering the United States due to suspected involvement in money laundering or other criminal conduct.
Authorities said they suspected the seized $220,000 was connected to unlawful activities. As of Friday, it remained unclear whether the woman taken into custody in that case is the same person who later died while in detention.
