Brazilian migrant dies from suicide attempt at New Mexico facility

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - On August 24, a young man from Brazil, Kesley Vial, died from a suicide attempt seven days prior.

In a press release, his death was a result abhorrent conditions and treatment by ICE while in their custody at the Torrance County Detention Facility in Albuquerque, NM.

Despite warnings about the danger TCDF posed, ICE and the facility's operator, CoreCivic allowed the abuse to continue.

So far, The New Mexico Immigrant Law Center (NMILC), American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico, Innovation Law Lab, and Justice for Our Neighbors (JFON) El Paso have been investigating the circumstances surrounding Vial's death, and are pursuing accountability.

Prior to his death, Vial was to be deported back to Brazil, as he was detained at Torrance indefinitely, but he was uninformed on how or when he would be removed from the facility.

However, this is just one of many issues pertaining to the facility.

Back in March, Department of Homeland Security issued an alert, demanding that ICE immediately stop detaining people at the facility because of unsanitary conditions, security deficiencies, severe understaffing and other basic failures that made TCDF too dangerous for the people detained inside.

Not only that, the facility previously failed an inspection by ICE's contracted inspectors and in 2020, CoreCivic guards attacked protestors who organized a peaceful hunger strike.