5 things to know about deaths of 2 ICE detainees in Georgia this year
In June, Immigrations and Custom Enforcement confirmed that someone being held at the Stewart Detention Center had died while in the agency’s custody.
Stewart Detention Center is an ICE facility in Lumpkin. It houses people detained by ICE, often for pending deportations. The man who died there in June, Jesus Molina-Veya, 45, was the second ICE detainee to die in Georgia this year. The other was Abelardo Avellaneda-Delgado, 68. Both were citizens of Mexico, according to ICE.
The deaths, and later calls for transparency from Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, prompted coverage of the incidents.
Here are five key takeaways from the two stories:
1. Two detainee deaths in ICE custody: In 2025, two Mexican nationals — Jesus Molina-Veya and Abelardo Avellaneda-Delgado — have died either in custody at Stewart Detention Center or while being transported there. Molina-Veya died by apparent suicide in June, while Avellaneda-Delgado became unresponsive en route in May, according to ICE.
2. What’s known about their histories: Both people had been arrested by U.S. law enforcement multiple times, with documented prior convictions for Molina-Veya and multiple law enforcement encounters for Avellaneda-Delgado. Molina-Veya’s prior offenses included child molestation, hit-and-run and possession of controlled substances, according to ICE. The agency provided limited information about Avellaneda-Delgado’s criminal history, but said he most recently was arrested on a probation violation charge.
3. Advocacy groups sound the alarm: Civil rights organizations condemned the deaths as evidence of systemic neglect and poor conditions within Stewart Detention Center. Groups such as the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights and El Refugio called for greater accountability and even closure of the facility.
4. Political action and requests for accountability: Georgia Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock wrote to federal officials, seeking explanations for the deaths and for delays in publicly reporting them. They also raised concerns about longstanding issues of abuse, substandard medical care, and poor conditions at Stewart Detention Center.
5. Broader pattern of problems and calls for reform: Both the advocacy groups and the U.S. senators are worried about longstanding problems at Stewart Detention Center, some of which precede the current presidential administration. Lawmakers and advocates are urging urgent reforms and better oversight of ICE detention facilities.
Editor’s note: This story was compiled using prior reporting from McClatchy, assisted by AI. AI usage was reviewed by newsroom staff prior to publication.