ICE Detainee Dies in Isolation After Pleas to Call Mother Are Reportedly Ignored

In April 2025, Brayan Rayo Garzon became one of the first people to take his own life at a detention center amid the Trump administration’s deportation crackdown, according to authorities and reports by the Associated Press.

Garzon, 27, was suffering from tuberculosis and COVID-19 at the time of his death. However, investigators and adovocates haver pointed out to isolation and mental health concerns as contributing factors. According to the Associated Press, Garzon pleaded with prison guards to allow him to speak to his mother. But his request was not granted, and he was found dead in his cell about one hour later.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Garzon was an illegal immigrant from Colombia who entered the U.S. in November 2023. His mother, Adriana Garzon, said he later settled in St. Louis, where he worked as a painter and a food delivery driver.

In March 2025, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department arrested him on allegations of fraudulent use of a credit/debit device after which he was transferred to ICE custody. Garzon was eventually taken to the Phelps County Jail in Rolla, Missouri.

According to records, while all detainees are supposed to undergo medical and mental health evaluations within 12 hours of their arrival, Garzon was screened 37 hours later. While in custody, he repeatedly complained of feeling anxious and struggling with mental health issues.

During his first few days in detention, Garzon found solace in speaking with his mother on the phone each night. However, he was soon diagnosed with tuberculosis and COVID-19 and placed in an isolated cell. Following his isolation, he was denied his nightly call to his mother.

Meanwhile, his mental health appointment was canceled twice, once due to staff shortages and again because of his COVID-19 diagnosis. On the night of April 7, he slipped a note to the guards outside his cell, begging them to arrange a call with his mother.

“I feel in my heart that she’s very worried about me,” Garzon wrote in Spanish, adding, “I know you have family, and you know that they worry about us. God bless you.” The guards deciphered the note using a translation app on a phone. While the call was not arranged, the guards found Garzon unresponsive in his cell an hour later, with a blanket tied around his neck.

Garzon was taken to a hospital, where he passed away the next day. A guard later stated that he was planning to follow up on Garzon’s request. Following his death, at least nine more suicides have been recorded in ICE custody. The number has risen sharply, according to detention records.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that ICE detention facilities provide appropriate medical and mental health care.

“ICE remains committed to ensuring that all those in its custody reside in safe, secure, and humane environments. Comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment individuals arrive and throughout the entirety of their stay,” the DHS said in a statement after Garzon’s death.