Salvadoran Immigrant Dies in ICE Custody in Georgia as Hunger Strike and Calls to Close Detention Center Intensify

• by Shimanta Das
• October 28, 2026

Luis Sandoval, a 48-year-old Salvadoran immigrant, died on October 23, 2026, while in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Folkston Detention Center in Folkston, Georgia. According to official notifications, Sandoval was found with a ligature around his neck. His death marks the 24th ICE detainee death in 2026 and the fifth in Georgia under the second Trump administration, underscoring a troubling pattern of fatalities in immigration detention. The circumstances surrounding his death have raised urgent questions about the conditions and oversight at the facility, which has been the subject of mounting protests.nnThe death comes amid escalating tensions at the Folkston facility. Earlier in October, approximately 500 detainees participated in a hunger strike, according to organizers with the Shut Down Folkston Campaign. While ICE reported on October 16 that only 13 individuals remained on strike, organizers claim that as of late October, 12 people were still maintaining the strike. The protest highlights the detainees’ demands for better conditions and their opposition to indefinite detention. ICE has previously stated in court filings that force-feeding is sometimes necessary to maintain “good order” in detention centers and to keep detainees alive, a practice that has drawn criticism from human rights advocates.nnSandoval’s death has intensified calls from activists and elected officials to permanently close the Stewart Detention Center, a facility in Lumpkin, Georgia, that has long been criticized for poor conditions and a high number of deaths. The Shut Down Folkston Campaign and other immigrant rights groups are demanding the liberation of all people who remain detained and swift action by elected officials to shut down the facility. They argue that the death is a preventable tragedy that exemplifies the systemic failures of the immigration detention system. “This death was not inevitable—it was the result of neglect and a system that prioritizes detention over human dignity,” said a spokesperson for the campaign.nnAs the investigation into Sandoval’s death continues, advocates stress the importance of staying informed about immigration news and holding officials accountable. The incident has drawn comparisons to previous deaths in ICE custody