Rep. Crow and Sens. Bennet and Hickenlooper are calling for an indepdenent investigation of the death of Melvin Ariel Calero Mendoza

Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network applauds Rep. Crow, Sen. Bennet, and Sen. Hickenlooper on taking swift action on calling for an independent investigation of the events leading up to the death of Melvin Ariel Calero Mendoza, who passed away while in ICE custody on October 13, 2022.

Melvin's death marks the fourth in DHS custody this year and he is the third person to lose their life while detained in the private prison owned and operated by GEO Group, Inc. in Aurora, Colorado. People should not lose their lives while being incarcerated awaiting civil immigration proceedings.

The letter requests that the DHS Office of Inspector General and ICE Office of Professional Responsibility "independently investigate Mr. Calero-Mendoza’s death and make the results of the investigations publicly available" to increase transparency regarding the inner workings of an agency that acts behind locked doors.

DHS is a rogue agency that often acts with impunity. Until we #FreeThemAll and end the practice of immigration detention in the United States, additional oversight is needed.