Man from India is the second person in 4 weeks to die in ICE custody in Arizona

An Indian national is the second person in a month to die in Arizona while being held in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The latest death occurred at the La Paz County Jail in Parker, a rural town in far western Arizona near the California border.

ICE officials said Simratpal Singh, 21, was found unresponsive and not breathing at the La Paz County Jail on Thursday, May 3, while he awaited transfer to an ICE facility. 

Singh was transferred to ICE custody earlier that day after posting bond on charges of assault and sexual assault, ICE officials said.

Local paramedics responded and Singh was transported by ambulance to the La Paz Regional Hospital. He was then airlifted to Abrazo West Campus Hospital in Goodyear. He was pronounced dead at 1:58 a.m. on May 3, ICE officials said.

A pending autopsy will determine the official cause of death, ICE officials said.

The Department Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General and the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility were notified of the death, along with state health and local law enforcement agencies.

ICE also notified Indian consular officials of Singh's death.

The La Paz County Sheriff's Office has asked the neighboring Mohave County Sheriff Department to conduct an outside investigation, said Anita Mortensen, a spokeswoman at the MCSD.

The La Paz County Sheriff's Office did not respond to a request for comment.

Singh's death comes four weeks after a Mexican national died on April 3 while in ICE custody at the Florence Service Processing Center, an ICE-run detention facility about 60 miles south of Phoenix.

On April 1, Abel Reyes-Clemente, 54, was placed into medical observation at the Florence detention center after showing signs and symptoms of the flu, ICE officials said.

Five people have died in ICE custody since the start of the current fiscal year on Oct. 1, according to ICE officials.

Separately, at least four people have also died while in the custody of Customs and Border Protection this fiscal year, including two children from Guatemala. 

Deficient medical care contributed to the deaths at least seven immigrants being held in ICE custody, according to a 2016 report by Human Rights Watch, an advocacy group. 

Reach the reporter at daniel.gonzalez@arizonarepublic.com or at 602-444-8312. Follow him on Twitter @azdangonzalez. Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.