Johana Medina transgender refugee dies in ICE custody on first day of Pride

Salvadorian transgender asylum seeker, Johana “Joa” Medina, died in ICE custody on the first day of Pride.

Diversidad Sin Fronteras posted on Facebook early Sunday morning informing us that yet another transgender asylum seeker has died while in ICE custody.

“We regret to inform the community that ICE has taken one more of our sisters. Johana Medina aka Joa, a Salvadoran trans woman has died in ICE custody in a hospital of El Paso, Tx yesterday at 21:00.”

“We’re seen as people that aren’t part of society. Like we’re a disease. Inhuman.”

said the five trans asylum seekers interviewed by the San Antonio Express-News who are in or recently released from the Pearsall detention center.

Joa is the 23rd person and the second trans person to die while in ICE custody according to an NBC report dated Jan 6th 2019. Most like Roxana Hernández have died due to the Trump administration’s uncaring erratic detention policies. Adding insult to injury many and have suffered continuing inhumanities as the Government lies about and tries to hide their deaths.

OJ Pitaya with Diversidad Sin Fronteras posted this update on Facebook.

We will update when more information becomes available.

Rest in Power Joa.

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