Death of Cuban Immigrant in Georgia Detention Center
Denny Adán González, a 33-year-old Cuban immigrant, died inside the Stewart detention center in Georgia earlier this week. The death is currently under investigation as a suspected suicide, according to a congressional notification sent on Friday and reviewed by .
The privately operated Stewart detention center, managed by CoreCivic on behalf of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), confirmed González’s death. ICE officially acknowledged the death in a press release on Friday morning.
González is the 18th individual to die in ICE custody in 2026. ICE is the federal agency responsible for immigration enforcement, including detention and deportation, and operates alongside Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Details of the Incident
CoreCivic released a statement on Thursday evening confirming the death but provided limited details. According to the company, on Tuesday night at approximately 10:26 p.m., staff at the Stewart facility discovered González unresponsive in his living area and called a medical emergency.
Emergency medical services responded and attempted resuscitation; however, González was pronounced deceased before he could be transported from the facility.
The death was initially reported online on Thursday evening by Andrew Free, an investigative reporter and attorney who monitors deaths in immigration detention centers. Free cited unnamed sources close to the Stewart facility and reported that González had been placed in solitary confinement following an altercation with a guard.
ICE’s notification to Congress and its press release state that the suspected cause of death is suicide, though the official cause remains under investigation. González was pronounced dead at 11:11 p.m. on Tuesday.
Neither ICE nor CoreCivic responded to inquiries this week regarding the reported use of solitary confinement or the alleged altercation with a guard in González’s case.
Statements from CoreCivic and ICE
CoreCivic has previously stated that it is
"committed to providing safe, humane and respectful care for everyone entrusted to us". ICE, in its press release on Friday, affirmed it is
"committed to ensuring that all those in custody reside in safe, secure, and humane environments".
Historical Context and Facility Concerns
The Stewart detention center has faced repeated accusations from detainees, advocacy groups, and government investigators regarding mistreatment and inappropriate use of solitary confinement. The facility has a capacity to detain nearly 2,000 individuals.
González is the fourth person to die by suicide inside the Stewart detention center. Previous incidents include the death of a Guatemalan immigrant in 2017 inside a solitary confinement cell, a Honduran detainee in 2018 within a solitary unit, and a 45-year-old man from Mexico who died by suicide last summer at Stewart.
Azadeh Shahshahani, legal and advocacy director of Project South, a Georgia-based civil rights organization, commented on the situation:
"As tragedies mount at Stewart, we renew our call for this deadly prison to be shut down. Instead of taking steps to dismantle this prison, ICE is doubling down. It is time for Congress to take decisive action and shut down Stewart once and for all."
Broader Immigration Detention Trends
Immigration detention has increased significantly under the Trump administration, with arrest operations surging nationwide. Facilities across the country have faced allegations of mistreatment and poor conditions.
Alongside the rise in detention numbers during the second Trump administration, the number of deaths in ICE custody has also increased. The year 2025 marked the highest number of deaths in ICE detention to date. González is the 30th person to die in ICE custody since October.
Background on Denny Adán González
According to the congressional notification, González had been deported previously in 2020 but re-entered the United States in 2022. He was detained by ICE in January 2026 after being arrested in December 2025 for alleged "assault on a female and domestic violence," as detailed in the notification.
