Jayapal Statement on Death of Detained Person at Yuma Border Patrol Station

SEATTLE, WA – U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee, released the following statement after a Chinese national died at a U.S. Border Patrol Station in Yuma, Arizona.

“When Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents take a person into custody, they are responsible for their well-being, full stop. This detainee died by suicide, and initial reports have indicated that certain CBP procedures to ensure the safety and welfare of individuals in custody were not conducted. There is no excuse for why agents cannot verify if some of the necessary welfare checks occurred – or why some of the documented welfare checks were incorrectly reported.

“As the CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) investigates this death, they must provide answers on why these welfare checks were not conducted and falsely recorded, and why this woman was able to die by suicide without any guard intervention. 

“Last year in Washington State, two detained persons died at the Northwest Immigrant Processing Center (NWIPC). I remain incredibly concerned about the conditions at these facilities. Another preventable death only increases that concern. Reports have consistently shown that the United States falls far short of its obligations to treat all detained people with dignity and fairness.”  

According to CBP OPR, the woman was taken into custody in California after it was determined that she had overstayed a B1/B2 visitor visa. Agents transferred her to Arizona where she was detained. 

According to information provided by CBP, logs note that multiple welfare checks were conducted, however, CBP OPR was unable to verify if those checks actually occurred, and for some of them, a Border Patrol Processing Coordinator (BPPC) stated that he did not conduct the logged checks. Surveillance footage showed the woman create a noose and tie it around her neck, yet no medical response occurred for nearly two hours. 

Issues: Immigration