Arizona Senate Democrats Condemn Latest Deaths in ICE Custody, Demand Immediate Accountability

PHOENIX - Reports of inadequate medical care, inhumane detention conditions, and aggressive immigration enforcement continue to mount across the country after the latest deaths of immigrants in ICE custody. Arizona Senate Democrats are demanding answers and calling for immediate federal accountability.

The deaths of Edgar López Cornejo, a 41-year-old Salvadoran man who died while detained in New Jersey; Priciliano Trejo, a 29-year-old Mexican national who was battling leukemia and died just nine days after being released; and Emmanuel Cleeford Damas, a 56-year-old Haitian man who died in Arizona after an untreated tooth infection while in ICE custody, are not isolated tragedies—they are part of a disturbing pattern that demands answers.

No one should die in government custody because they were denied basic medical care. No family should be left wondering whether their loved one could have been saved. Yet these preventable tragedies continue while ICE expands enforcement operations across the country, including arrests at airports involving individuals who did not have criminal records and, in some cases, possessed valid work authorization or humanitarian protections.

Arizona Senate Democrats say the continued escalation of immigration enforcement, coupled with preventable deaths in custody, is creating fear in immigrant communities while eroding the values of due process, accountability, and basic human dignity.

Senate Democratic Leader Priya Sundareshan

"Enough is enough. How many more people must die before this administration is held accountable? Human rights are not optional, and due process is not a political talking point. Every preventable death in government custody is a moral failure that demands transparency, accountability, and action. If people are dying from untreated illnesses while in government custody, then the system is broken. And if no one is held accountable, that failure belongs to this administration."

Assistant Democratic Leader Catherine Miranda

"This administration has chosen fear over humanity. Families are being torn apart, communities are being terrorized, and immigrants are being treated as political props instead of human beings. That's why I stood alongside Attorney General Kris Mayes in denouncing the surprise ICE detention center in Arizona. We cannot wait until another life is lost to act. We have a responsibility to keep fighting, to remain vigilant, and to push back against an administration that continues to undermine due process, erode fundamental rights, and govern through fear instead of justice."

Sen. Analise Ortiz

"Emmanuel Damas died here in Arizona while in ICE custody after an untreated tooth infection turned into septic shock. Prisciliano Trejo Ricano, who was battling leukemia, died just days after his release from detention. These are preventable deaths caused by the United States government and its callous disregard for human life. Every death demands an independent investigation. Every family deserves answers. Every person, regardless of immigration status, deserves dignity, humane treatment, and access to lifesaving medical care."

Sen. Flavio Bravo

"Immigrants are not the enemy. They are our coworkers, our neighbors, our friends, and our families. Escalating enforcement while people continue to die in custody is not strength, it is a failure of leadership. We reject policies that value political headlines over human lives, and we will continue fighting for an immigration system rooted in justice, due process, accountability, and respect for every person's humanity."

Arizona Senate Democrats stand with immigrant families across Arizona and the nation and renew their call for full transparency into every death in ICE custody, independent oversight of detention facilities, and an immigration system that upholds the constitutional rights, dignity, and humanity of every person.