This week we remember Jesus Manuel Arenas-Silva, who was 45 years old when he died in ICE custody on July 13th of this year. Jesus was not receiving his medication while in detention, according to his family. He was found unresponsive while being transferred by bus from Irwin Detention center in Ocilla Georgia to an ICE processing center. He was originally from Venezuela. ICE reported their suspected cause of death as cardiac arrest.
In the words of his sister: “We implored ICE not to take him due to his medical needs, but they didn’t listen to our pleas. They also ignored our request to at least allow him to take the medication with him, allowing only one medication.” Jesus Manual later confirmed during a phone call to his sister that ICE did not give him the medication he needed.
Jesus had been in ICE custody for less than a week when he died. He was the 33rd person who died in the hands of ICE this year, of the 35 who have died to date. Let’s find creative ways to express dissent toward ICE this week and in the weeks to come.
Read the Detention Watch article about Jesus here. www.detentionwatchnetwork.org/pressroom/releases/2026/jesus-manuel-arenas-silva-dies-ice-custody-while-nation-continues-grapple