In case of mistaken identity, ICE detainee dies while in custody

Keldy Ortiz | NorthJersey

Show Caption Hide Caption Video: Organizers rally for ICE detainee who died while in custody Organizers rally for ICE detainee who died while in custody.

KEARNY — Organizers gathered Monday, steps away from the Hudson County Correction Center, a place where a Honduran immigrant had mistakenly been in custody and later died earlier this month with no family by his side, according to his attorneys.

Rolando Meza Espinoza, 35, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Long Island in late March. Espinoza spoke with lawyers who reviewed ICE documents and found that a case of mistaken identity had taken place. A photo which agents had to identify Espinoza did not resemble him, his lawyer said.

Espinoza’s lawyers had scheduled a June 8 hearing for possible release, but Espinoza’s health had already deteriorated due to what his lawyer said was inadequate care. Espinoza died June 10 and his family wasn't notified for two days.

ICE officials acknowledged a detainee's death, but identified a different man in their June 12 release, not Espinoza. ICE claimed a 44-year-old Salvadoran national died in custody. ICE said in their release that on June 8 the detainee "was admitted to the Jersey City Medical Center’s Intensive Care Unit due to gastrointestinal bleeding" and died of complications on June 10.

“It’s a broken family,” said lawyer Manuel Portela, when asked how the family was doing. Portela, who has been hired by Espinoza’s family, plans to file a civil suit. Portela said he is awaiting an autopsy report on Espinoza. “The sad thing is that he left his common law wife of 10 years, an 8-year-old child who is a U.S. citizen along with two step children.”

Espinoza’s family was not present Monday.

Espinoza was the 10th person to die while in custody since October, ICE officials said.

Those who came out Monday evening holding “Justice for Rolando” signs and chanting for justice wanted more done for those held in custody.

The lack of care is what got the interest of Michaelene Loughlin. Before arriving Monday, she met with an woman who is in the custody of ICE.

“She needs eye drops,” said Loughlin, a retired attorney of Hackensack. “They won’t give her eye drops. Really?”

Serges Demefack, a project coordinator at American Friends Service Committee, which works on supporting immigrant rights, said he visited the correction center here to see the conditions. He was told by Hudson detainees there was mold where they were kept. When Demefack visited, however, he viewed cleaned cells and believe he was misled by correction officials.

“It’s a pattern of deceiving the advocate,” Demefack said. “We’re here to say enough is enough. Hudson must go down."

Calls made to ICE officials were not returned Monday night.

"We're here to express our sense of outrage," said Father Eugene Squeo, a retired co-pastor in Jersey City. "We come to say we do care."