This past spring, 33-year-old Roxsana Hernández joined the Central American caravan that is attempting to cross the United States–Mexico border to seek asylum in the U.S. By the end of May, she reportedly died after being physically abused while in the care of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to the Transgender Law Center. Roxsana, a trans woman, had been fleeing violence in home country of Honduras.
In a May 25 press release, ICE states that on May 17, Hernández was “admitted to Cibola General Hospital with symptoms of pneumonia, dehydration, and complications associated with HIV,” and claimed her primary cause of death was cardiac arrest. A private autopsy requested by her family and paid for by the Transgender Law Center states that she “endured physical assault and abuse while in custody.” ICE has not publicly disclosed why Hernández was detained; Teen Vogue has reached out for clarification.
Roxsana had reportedly made attempts to live in the U.S. before, and had been deported three times prior. On May 9, she attempted to seek asylum at the San Ysidro Port of Entry (SYPOE) of the U.S.–Mexico border but was promptly detained by ICE.
Over the course of three weeks, Roxsana was transferred to Cibola County Correctional Center in Milan, New Mexico, after being transported through several states with other trans detainees that noticed her health deteriorating as she was denied medical care. The ICE press release on her death states that she was slated for “expedited removal” and died of cardiac arrest following HIV-related complications on May 25, after being admitted to the hospital just eight days prior.