Son of Prisoner Who Died in ICE Custody Wants Answers About Suspicious Death

While detained at the Prairieland Detention Center (PDC) in Alvarado, TX in 2018, Armenian immigrant Gourgen Mirimanian died in what his family believes was a cover-up by LaSalle Corrections, the private prison company that oversees the detention center. Mirimanian entered Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody with hypertension and hyperlipidemia, conditions for which he took medication. When Mirimanian arrived at PDC, officials identified him as a person with serious medical conditions that would require chronic care, treatment and monitoring to ensure his safety. Approximately a month before his death, Mirimanian complained of chest pain, though his medical records reflected “no abnormal physical findings or acute distress”.  While medical professionals recommended Mirimanian be transported to see a specialist regarding his cardiac condition, ICE and LaSalle failed to timely arrange such transport.  Additionally, any relevant video surveillance footage that may have captured Mirimanian’s chest complaints and subsequent ailments “was not retained” by LaSalle.

Mirimanian’s son Mike, concerned by the circumstances surrounding his father’s death, enlisted the help of two migrant justice legal organizations to help file a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to obtain his father’s death records. After four long years of waiting for ICE to release the records, a lawsuit was filed by Grant & Eisenhofer to compel ICE to release the records.

Did Your Loved One Pass Away While in in Prison? Do You Suspect Negligence?

If you or a loved one has suffered harm as an inmate or died while in a correctional facility or jail due to civil rights violations, reach out to Grant & Eisenhofer today. A civil rights lawyer with our firm will review your case to determine if you have a lawsuit. Our attorneys can investigate your claim and may be able to help you seek compensation for your damages.