Chinese Woman Dies in ICE Custody After Visa Overstay

A 52-year-old Chinese woman died by suicide while in the custody of U.S. immigration authorities after being detained for overstaying her visa, officials have confirmed.

The woman, whose identity has not been released, was apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border and later transferred to a detention facility in Yuma, Arizona. 

While in custody, she was found unresponsive in her cell, according to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesperson who spoke with the Tucson Sentinel. She was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

The incident has drawn sharp criticism from Democratic Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, who raised serious concerns about the conduct of border agents and the adequacy of detainee welfare checks. 

Jayapal, a ranking member of the House subcommittee overseeing immigration policy, stated that ICE could not confirm whether the required wellness checks were performed — and that some reports may have been falsely documented.

"There is no excuse for the failure to verify critical welfare checks or for discrepancies in official records," Jayapal said, adding that this "preventable death" highlights ongoing concerns about detention conditions.

The woman had reportedly entered the U.S. on a B-1/B-2 visa, typically issued for short-term business or tourism visits.

Though the exact circumstances of her detention remain unclear, her death occurred during the same period that two Chinese nationals were arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents near Yuma. 

According to a Facebook post by the Yuma Sector, a 52-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man were apprehended with over $220,000 in cash concealed in duffel bags wrapped in aluminium foil. 

The funds were suspected to be connected to criminal activity.

While ICE has not confirmed whether the deceased woman is the same individual arrested with the large sum of money, both incidents involve a 52-year-old Chinese woman taken into custody in the same region.

An investigation has been launched by the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General, along with ICE's Office of Professional Responsibility.