Vietnamese national in ICE custody dies in El Paso long-term acute care hospital

EL PASO, Texas - A Vietnamese national in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement died of natural causes, April 16, at the Long Term Acute Care Hospital in El Paso, Texas.

Nhon Ngoc Nguyen, 55, entered the United States on July 14, 1983, and was granted status as a legal U.S. resident as part of the Refugee Act of 1980.

On Sept. 10, 1991, he was convicted of second-degree murder in California and sentenced to serve 15 years in prison. The aggravated felony conviction violated the terms of his residency.

ICE officers encountered Nguyen on Sept. 15, 2004, at the San Quentin State Prison in California, where he was serving his murder sentence and lodged an immigration detainer.

On Nov. 12, 2013, the San Quentin State Prison transferred custody of Nguyen to ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in San Francisco after his release on parole. That same day, ERO San Francisco arrested Nguyen, served him with a Notice to Appear before the Department of Justice Executive Office for Immigration Review, and detained him at the Yuba County Jail in Marysville, California.

On Dec. 11, 2013, an immigration judge in San Francisco ordered Nguyen removed to Vietnam. However, Vietnam denied issuing a travel document, and on Jan. 13, 2014, ERO San Francisco issued him an Order of Supervision, and released him from ICE custody.

On Sept. 2, 2014, ERO San Francisco granted Nguyen’s request to transfer his case to Dallas, and on Nov. 21, 2018, ERO Dallas granted his request to transfer his case to Albuquerque, New Mexico.

On Feb. 24, ICE officers arrested him in Albuquerque based on his final order of removal with the significant likelihood of removal in the reasonably foreseeable future to Vietnam and detained him at the El Paso Processing Center.

On Feb. 26, he was transported to the Long Term Acute Care Hospital in El Paso for treatment due to altered mental status, assistance to ambulate and assistance with his activities of daily living, and on March 13, he was discharged and transported back to the El Paso Processing Center. On March 14, he was transported to the University Medical Center in El Paso for the same health issues. He was discharged on March 26, and transported to the Long Term Acute Care Hospital.

ICE officials coordinated closely with Nguyen’s attorney to identify and contact Nguyen’s family members able to take custody and care for him in the United States to no avail.

On April 5, the Long Term Acute Care Hospital discharged him and he was transported back to the El Paso Processing Center. Two days later he was again transported to the Long Term Acute Care Hospital, where he died April 16.

Consistent with ICE protocols, the appropriate components were notified about the death, including the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General and the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility. Additionally, ICE notified the next of kin.

ICE makes official notifications to Congress, nongovernmental organization stakeholders, and the media upon an official report of a detained illegal alien’s death and posts a news release with relevant details on the ICE public website within two business days per agency policy. This information may be accessed in the ICE.gov Newsroom. Additionally, congressional requirements described in the DHS Appropriations Bill of 2018 require ICE to make public all reports regarding an in-custody death within 90 days. These reports may be accessed on the Detainee Death Reporting page.

ICE remains committed to ensuring that all those in its custody reside in safe, secure, and humane environments. Comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment individuals arrive and throughout the entirety of their stay. All people in ICE custody receive medical, dental and mental health intake screening within 12 hours of arriving at each detention facility, a full health assessment within 14 days of entering ICE custody or arrival at a facility, access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care. At no time during detention is a detained illegal alien denied emergent care.