Jayapal Statement on Second Death at Northwest Immigrant Processing Center in 2024

SEATTLE, WA – U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee, issued the following statement regarding the death of Jose Manuel Sanchez-Castro at the Northwest Immigrant Processing Center (NWIPC), formerly the Northwest Detention Center, an immigration detention facility in Washington State operated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE):

“First and foremost, I extend my condolences to Mr. Sanchez-Castro’s family and loved ones. While his official cause of death is still unknown, there must be accountability and a full investigation to understand exactly what happened. My office is tracking this closely and is in contact with ICE. 

“This is now the second death at NWIPC in 2024 after Charles Leo Daniel died in custody after spending 1,418 days in solitary confinement. Following his death, I inspected the facility and was not permitted to speak directly with detained people. I remain deeply concerned about reports from detained people regarding conditions at the facility and will continue to closely monitor and engage with federal officials about my concerns.”

In 2018, another detained person at the facility died by suicide. Detained people at the facility have consistently been forced to resort to hunger strikes to protest conditions, including allegations of medical neglect, unsafe food, and unsanitary conditions among other complaints.

Jayapal has been a leader in efforts to end the use of private, for-profit detention centers and to instead utilize alternatives to detention. She has led multiple calls to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to urge the closure of facilities with records of abuse. She has also worked to push accountability and transparency at many of these detention facilities.

She is also the lead sponsor of the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, transformative legislation that would end the use of for-profit, private detention facilities and protect the civil and human rights of immigrants. 

Issues: Immigration