Johana Medina, a transgender asylum-seeker from El Salvador, died while in Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) custody on June 1.
Medina is the second transgender immigrant to die in ICE custody since President Donald Trump was inaugurated. Medina's death was first reported by Diversidad Sin Fronteras, an activist group focused on helping LGBTQ migrants and refugees.
Pro-LGBT organizations spoke out about Medina's death. GLAAD stated, "This country shouldn't be imprisoning trans people, children, and other vulnerable people fleeing violence and persecution in their countries and seeking help. Are the White House and President Trump going to remain silent on this?"
In a separate statement, Human Rights Campaign Director of Government Affairs David Stacy said, "The death of Johana Medina, a transgender woman of color and asylum seeker, just hours after being released from ICE custody, is yet another horrific and deeply disturbing development in the ongoing crisis of anti-LGBTQ actions by immigration authorities.
"This follows the still-unexplained death of Roxsana Hernandez and numerous reports of mistreatment of LGBTQ migrants and asylum seekers while in custody of CBP and ICE. It is critical that every person be treated with safety, dignity, and respect by immigration authorities, and this latest tragedy demands greater transparency and accountability of these agencies."