Bahamian man in ICE custody passes away in Mississippi

NEW ORLEANS — A Bahamian man in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Enforcement (ICE) passed away Dec. 17 at the Adams County Detention Center in Natchez, Mississippi. The preliminary cause of death is from a heart attack.

Anthony Jones, 51, was pronounced dead at 9:59 a.m. (CST) by medical professionals responding to the Adams County Detention Center emergency room, where Jones had sought treatment that morning.

Jones illegally entered the United States at an unknown date and unknown location. On April 3, 2006, he was transferred into ICE custody from the Florida Department of Corrections and placed into immigration proceedings. On Nov. 8, 2006, an immigration judge (IJ) with the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) ordered Jones removed from the United States to the Bahamas, however, prior to being able to carry out his removal, he was released on an order of supervision as ICE was unable to secure a valid travel document in order to effect his removal. Following Jones’ arrest for aggravated battery in Broward County, Florida, on Sept. 1, 2009, ICE lodged a detainer with the Broward County Jail. Jones entered ICE custody on Oct. 6, 2009 and was released Oct. 16, 2009 on an order of supervision pending issuance of travel documents.

On April 11, 2019, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Miami officers took Jones into custody at the Broward County Sheriff’s Office in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, pursuant to his arrest for battery domestic violence. On Oct. 2, 2019, Jones was transferred to the Adams County Detention Center. On Dec. 17, Jones passed away from an apparent heart attack. At the time of his death, Jones was pending removal from the United States.

Consistent with the agency’s protocols, the appropriate agencies have been notified about the death, including the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG), and the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR). Additionally, ICE has notified the Bahamian consulate and Jones’ next of kin. The agency’s comprehensive review will be conducted by ICE senior leadership, including Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA).

ICE is firmly committed to the health and welfare of all those in its custody and is undertaking a comprehensive agency-wide review of this incident, as it does in all such cases. Fatalities in ICE custody, statistically, are exceedingly rare and occur at a fraction of the national average for the U.S. detained population.

ICE’s Health Service Corps (IHSC) ensures the provision of necessary medical care services as required by ICE Performance-Based National Detention Standards and based on the medical needs of the detainee. Comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment detainees arrive and throughout the entirety of their stay. All ICE detainees receive medical, dental and mental health intake screening within 12 hours of arriving at each detention facility, a full health assessment within 14 days of entering ICE custody or arrival at a facility, and access to daily sick call and 24-hour emergency care. Pursuant to our commitment to the welfare of those in the agency’s custody, ICE annually spends more than $315 million on the spectrum of healthcare services provided to detainees.