OSINT Report: Serawit Gezahegn Dejene - ICE Detention Death¶

Date of Research: February 5, 2026
Published by: Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
Subject: Serawit Gezahegn Dejene - Death in ICE custody
Confidence: HIGH

PRIVATE CONTRACTOR: CORECIVIC

Facility operated by CoreCivic — a for-profit prison corporation and the second-largest private prison company in the United States. CoreCivic operates Eloy Detention Center where Dejene died of tuberculosis after systematic medical neglect. See Infrastructure for full contractor profiles.

Executive Summary¶

On January 29, 2025, Serawit Gezahegn Dejene, a 45-year-old Ethiopian asylum seeker, died at Banner University Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona after 161 days in ICE custody at Eloy Detention Center. Despite reporting abnormal pulse in August 2024, he received no follow-up until mid-December when he collapsed in the recreation yard with extreme fatigue, dizziness, and 20% weight loss. Medical personnel discovered he had advanced HIV/AIDS with multiple opportunistic infections including tuberculosis, pneumonia, toxoplasmosis, and suspected lymphoma. He was hospitalized December 23, intubated January 3, and died January 29. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner listed cause of death as "complications of multiple infections in the setting of HIV." This case represents catastrophic medical neglect - HIV/AIDS and TB are diagnosable conditions that should have been identified during intake screening or early detention.

Second death of 2025. Died 6 days after Genry Ruiz Guillen at the same Krome facility.

Note: ICE press release states he was at Eloy, but timing suggests connection to Krome deaths pattern.

VICTIM PROFILE¶

Serawit Gezahegn Dejene
- Age: 45 years old
- Country: Ethiopia
- Asylum Status: Pending (granted continuance to file asylum application)
- Arrived in U.S.: August 19, 2024 (entered at/near Lukeville, Arizona)
- First encountered: August 19, 2024 by U.S. Border Patrol
- Issued: Notice and order of expedited removal
- Transferred to ICE: August 21, 2024 at Eloy Detention Center
- Immigration hearing: September 20, 2024 (granted continuance for asylum application)
- Time in custody: 161 days (Aug 21 - Jan 29)
- Died: January 29, 2025, 1:21 PM

THE INCIDENT - January 29, 2025¶

Location: Banner University Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona
Detention Facility: Eloy Detention Center, Arizona

Timeline¶

August 19, 2024:
- Entered U.S. at/near Lukeville, Arizona
- Arrested by U.S. Border Patrol
- Issued notice and order of expedited removal

August 21, 2024:
- Transferred to ICE at Eloy Detention Center
- Medical intake screening conducted (details unknown)
- Question: Was HIV/TB screening performed? Required by ICE policy

August-September 2024 (Early detention):
- Abnormal pulse noted by medical staff
- NO FOLLOW-UP provided despite abnormal vital sign
- Critical failure: Abnormal pulse can indicate serious conditions

September 20, 2024:
- Immigration judge grants continuance
- Allowed to file asylum and withholding of removal applications
- Still in detention despite pending asylum case

October-November 2024 (Months 3-4):
- Condition presumably deteriorating
- No documented medical care
- No follow-up on abnormal pulse

December 19, 2024 (Day 120 in custody):
- Collapsed in recreation yard
- Reported extreme fatigue and dizziness
- Symptoms suggest advanced systemic illness

December 20, 2024:
- Informed detention staff he had passed out previous day
- Transported to Banner Casa Grande Medical Center
- Findings:
- Elevated heart rate
- Elevated temperature (fever)
- Extreme fatigue
- 20% weight loss (catastrophic - roughly 30-40 pounds)
- Suspected lymphoma diagnosis

December 21, 2024:
- Returned to Eloy Detention Center
- Given appointment with "facility oncologist"
- Question: How long until oncologist appointment?

December 23, 2024:
- Re-hospitalized at Banner Casa Grande Medical Center
- Condition worse than 3 days prior
- Comprehensive testing reveals:
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) - advanced
- Likely Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
- Central nervous system toxoplasmosis (brain infection)
- Tuberculosis (TB) - highly contagious
- Diphyllobothrium tapeworm
- Pneumocystis pneumonia (AIDS-defining illness)
- Klebsiella pneumoniae (bacterial infection)
- Candida albicans (fungal infection)
- Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
- Suspected lymphoma

Critical: These are advanced AIDS-related opportunistic infections. HIV was undiagnosed/untreated for months.

December 31, 2024:
- Transferred via air ambulance to Banner University Medical Center
- Required "increased level of care" (intensive care)
- Condition critical

January 3, 2025:
- Intubated for airway protection
- Placed on ventilator
- Unable to breathe on his own

January 29, 2025:
- 11:15 AM: Medical staff discontinued life support
- 1:21 PM: Physician declared him deceased
- 26 days on ventilator
- 37 days hospitalized
- 161 days in ICE custody

MEDICAL NEGLECT TIMELINE¶

Critical Failure Points¶

1. INTAKE SCREENING FAILURE (August 21)

ICE Policy Requirements:
- All detainees receive medical screening within 12 hours of arrival
- Screening includes vital signs, medical history, infectious disease screening
- Required tests: TB screening, HIV risk assessment

What Should Have Happened:
- TB skin test or chest X-ray
- HIV screening (standard for detention facilities)
- Assessment of weight, vital signs, general health

What Actually Happened:
- Abnormal pulse noted - NO FOLLOW-UP
- No evidence of HIV screening
- No evidence of TB screening
- Advanced HIV/AIDS went undetected for 4 months

2. ABNORMAL VITAL SIGN IGNORED (August-December)

Standard of Care:
- Abnormal pulse requires investigation
- Could indicate: infection, heart disease, anemia, HIV, TB
- Follow-up should occur within days, not months

Actual Response:
- Noted in medical record
- Zero follow-up for 4 months
- Dejene left to deteriorate

3. PROGRESSIVE DETERIORATION IGNORED (September-December)

Visible Symptoms of Advanced AIDS:
- Weight loss (20% = 30-40 pounds over 4 months)
- Fatigue (unable to function normally)
- Fever (elevated temperature)
- Dizziness (collapsed in yard)

Medical Staff Response:
- No documented intervention
- No weight monitoring
- No investigation of progressive symptoms
- Dejene deteriorating in plain view

4. DELAYED EMERGENCY RESPONSE (December 19-20)

December 19: Collapsed in recreation yard
December 20: Finally taken to hospital

Question: Why 24-hour delay between collapse and hospital transport?

5. INADEQUATE POST-ER FOLLOW-UP (December 21-23)

December 20: ER visit, suspected lymphoma, 20% weight loss
December 21: Returned to detention with "oncologist appointment"
December 23: Re-hospitalized (condition worsened)

Critical Error: Person with suspected cancer, 20% weight loss, and multiple infections should NOT have been returned to detention. Required immediate hospitalization.

CAUSE OF DEATH - MEDICAL EXAMINER FINDINGS¶

Official Cause¶

Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner:

"Complications of multiple infections in the setting of human immunodeficiency virus"

Translation¶

Primary Condition: Advanced HIV/AIDS (untreated)

Complications (what killed him):
1. Central nervous system toxoplasmosis - brain infection
2. Tuberculosis - lung/systemic infection
3. Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) - AIDS-defining lung infection
4. Klebsiella pneumoniae - bacterial pneumonia
5. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) - viral infection affecting multiple organs
6. Candida albicans - systemic fungal infection
7. Diphyllobothrium tapeworm - intestinal parasite

These are opportunistic infections that occur when immune system is destroyed by untreated HIV.

Medical Significance¶

HIV/AIDS is TREATABLE:
- Antiretroviral therapy (ART) can suppress HIV to undetectable levels
- People with HIV on treatment have normal lifespans
- Opportunistic infections are PREVENTABLE with treatment

TB is TREATABLE:
- Standard antibiotic regimen for 6-9 months
- Highly effective when diagnosed early
- TB in detention is public health crisis (highly contagious)

Pneumocystis pneumonia is PREVENTABLE:
- Prophylactic antibiotics prevent PCP in people with low immune counts
- Standard care for HIV patients

Timeline of Preventable Failures¶

August 21: HIV undiagnosed → No treatment started
September-December: HIV destroying immune system → No monitoring
December 20: Opportunistic infections established → Returned to detention
December 23: Multiple life-threatening infections → Too late
January 29: Death from preventable complications

ASSESSMENT: Death was preventable at every stage. Early HIV diagnosis and treatment would have prevented AIDS progression and opportunistic infections.

TUBERCULOSIS - PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS¶

Critical Issue: TB Exposure in Detention¶

Serawit Dejene had active tuberculosis in a detention facility.

TB Transmission:
- Airborne (spreads through breathing, coughing, talking)
- Highly contagious in close quarters
- Detention facilities are ideal TB transmission environments

ICE Policy on TB:
- All detainees screened for TB within 48 hours of intake
- Anyone with positive screen receives chest X-ray
- Active TB requires immediate isolation and treatment

What Happened Here:
- Dejene had TB for unknown duration (months?)
- No evidence of TB screening at intake
- No isolation until December 23 hospitalization
- How many people were exposed?

Questions:
1. How many detainees were exposed to Dejene's TB?
2. How many staff were exposed?
3. Were exposed individuals tested and treated?
4. Were family members of exposed individuals notified?
5. Why wasn't TB detected during intake screening?

This represents a failure of public health protocols that endangered dozens of people.

HIV SCREENING FAILURE¶

ICE Policy on HIV Screening¶

Recommended Practice:
- HIV screening offered to all detainees
- High-risk individuals (IV drug use, certain regions) screened automatically
- Ethiopia has 0.9% HIV prevalence (moderate risk)

Standard of Care:
- HIV screening is routine in correctional/detention settings
- Early diagnosis enables treatment, prevents AIDS
- Testing is rapid (results in 20 minutes) and inexpensive

What Went Wrong¶

August 21: Intake screening performed
- Question: Was HIV test offered? Performed?
- Question: Was Dejene asked about HIV risk factors?
- Question: Were intake screening forms complete?

Scenarios:
1. No HIV test performed → Screening protocol failure
2. Test not offered to detainee → Informed consent violation
3. Test performed, positive result missed → Medical malpractice
4. Test performed, positive result ignored → Criminal negligence

Any scenario represents catastrophic failure.

Progressive HIV Symptoms (Ignored)¶

Months 1-2 (August-October):
- Abnormal pulse (noted, not followed up)
- Possible early symptoms (unknown - no documentation)

Months 3-4 (November-December):
- Weight loss (20% over ~4 months)
- Fatigue (extreme, unable to function)
- Fever (elevated temperature)
- Opportunistic infections developing

These are textbook advanced HIV/AIDS symptoms. Medical staff should have recognized this pattern.

ELOY DETENTION CENTER - PATTERN OF NEGLECT¶

Context - Facility History¶

Location: Pinal County, Arizona (between Phoenix and Tucson)
Operator: CoreCivic (private prison company) under ICE contract
Capacity: ~1,500 detainees
History: Multiple deaths, abuse allegations, medical neglect documented

Previous Deaths at Eloy¶

2020s: Multiple deaths documented
2024-2025: Conditions reportedly worsening under increased detention

December 2025 Report - FIRRP Investigation¶

Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project (FIRRP) Report:
"Medical Neglect, Strip Searches, and Abuse: Deadly and Dehumanizing Conditions in the Eloy Detention Center (June 2024 - November 2025)"

Key Findings:
- Systematic medical neglect
- Delayed or denied medical care
- Inadequate mental health services
- Abuse and dehumanizing treatment
- Strip searches used as punishment

Timeline: Report covers June 2024 - November 2025
Significance: Dejene was detained August 2024 - January 2025 (DURING this period)

Dejene's case is a textbook example of the neglect FIRRP documented.

ANOTHER ELOY CASE - "YARI" (Concurrent)¶

Parallel Medical Neglect Case¶

December 2025: Rep. Yassamin Ansari demands medical care for constituent

"Yari" (pseudonym):
- Woman detained at Eloy
- Has cancer (type undisclosed)
- Lost 70 pounds in ICE custody
- Family and lawmakers fighting for her release to get treatment

Arizona Mirror reporting (December 22, 2025):
- Detained woman with cancer lost 70 lbs
- Family calling for release
- Lawmakers demanding medical care
- Eloy facility denying adequate treatment

Pattern: Eloy Detention Center repeatedly fails to provide cancer care, allows massive weight loss (Dejene lost 20%, "Yari" lost 70 lbs).

INVESTIGATION STATUS¶

Federal:
- ICE internal review (standard protocol)
- DHS Office of Inspector General notified
- ICE Office of Professional Responsibility notified
- No independent federal investigation announced

Medical Examiner:
- Maricopa County ME performed autopsy
- Cause: "Complications of multiple infections in the setting of HIV"
- No independent review announced

State (Arizona):
- No state investigation announced
- No Arizona authorities involvement despite public health crisis (TB exposure)

Congressional:
- Rep. Yassamin Ansari involved in related Eloy case ("Yari")
- No specific congressional inquiry into Dejene's death announced

Advocacy:
- FIRRP documented Eloy conditions (report released December 2025)
- Detention Watch Network tracking deaths
- ACLU flagging pattern of early 2025 deaths

FOIA Requests:
- MuckRock: Mortality Review requested
- MuckRock: OPR Death Review & HSCA requested

Family:
- Status unknown
- No public statements located
- Unclear if family was notified promptly

CRITICAL QUESTIONS¶

About Medical Screening¶

Was HIV screening performed at intake? ICE policy requires offering HIV testing
Was TB screening performed? Required within 48 hours of detention
Were intake medical forms completed properly? Or were corners cut?
If tests were performed, what were results? Were positive results missed/ignored?

About Medical Care¶

Why no follow-up on abnormal pulse? Noted in August, ignored until December
Who monitored his health August-December? Any medical check-ups during 4 months?
Was weight loss documented? 20% weight loss should have triggered intervention
Why returned to detention Dec 21? After ER visit with suspected cancer/severe illness

About TB Exposure¶

How many people were exposed to TB? Detainees, staff, visitors
Were exposed individuals tested? Contact tracing performed?
Were families notified of TB exposure? Public health obligation
When did TB become active? How long was he contagious in detention?

About Facility Accountability¶

Who was responsible for his medical care? Names of medical director, attending physicians
Were medical protocols followed? Or systematically ignored?
How many other detainees are receiving inadequate care? "Yari" case suggests pattern
Will CoreCivic face consequences? Private contractor accountability

About ICE Accountability¶

Why wasn't he released for medical treatment? Pending asylum case, life-threatening illness
Did ICE know about HIV diagnosis Dec 23? If so, why not release on humanitarian grounds?
What is ICE doing to prevent similar deaths? Pattern of medical neglect across facilities

PATTERN ANALYSIS¶

Medical Neglect Pattern (2025 Deaths)¶

Comparison to other deaths:

Genry Ruiz Guillen (Jan 23, 2025):
- Weeks of symptoms (dizziness, fainting)
- Given "multiple medications," condition worsened
- Developed rhabdomyolysis
- Died after 86 days custody

Serawit Gezahegn Dejene (Jan 29, 2025):
- Months of symptoms (abnormal pulse, weight loss)
- No follow-up, condition worsened
- Developed AIDS complications, TB
- Died after 161 days custody

Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz (Jan 6, 2026):
- Weeks of requesting care
- Only received "Band-Aid solutions"
- Died from heart issues after 51 days custody

Parady La (Jan 9, 2026):
- Begged for help for 24 hours
- Denied adequate withdrawal care
- Died after 3 days custody

PATTERN: Medical complaints → Inadequate response → Condition deteriorates → Emergency hospitalization too late → Death

Weight Loss as Warning Sign¶

Serawit Dejene: 20% weight loss (30-40 lbs)
"Yari" at Eloy: 70 lbs weight loss
Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz: Progressive decline (weight not documented)

Pattern: Massive weight loss should trigger immediate medical intervention. ICE facilities allowing this to happen represents systematic neglect.

HIV/AIDS in Detention¶

Medical Standard: HIV-positive detainees should receive:
- Immediate antiretroviral therapy (ART)
- Prophylactic antibiotics for opportunistic infections
- Regular monitoring of viral load and immune function
- Nutritional support
- Mental health care

What Dejene Received:
- No HIV diagnosis until December (4 months in custody)
- No ART (or started too late)
- No opportunistic infection prophylaxis
- Catastrophic weight loss (malnutrition)
- Death from preventable complications

This case demonstrates HIV/AIDS care in ICE detention is inadequate.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS - KROME vs. ELOY¶

Note on Facility Attribution¶

ICE Press Release states: Dejene was at Eloy Detention Center, Arizona
Research notes mention: "Died 6 days after Genry Ruiz Guillen at the same Krome facility"

Clarification needed:
- Genry Ruiz Guillen was at Krome (Miami, Florida)
- Serawit Dejene was at Eloy (Arizona)
- Different facilities, but both had deaths in January 2025

Corrected Pattern: Not same facility, but same time period (Jan 23 & Jan 29, 2025)

Pattern Across Facilities¶

What Krome and Eloy Have in Common:
1. Both had deaths in January 2025 (6 days apart)
2. Both cases show medical neglect (weeks/months of ignored symptoms)
3. Both involve progressive deterioration leading to emergency hospitalization
4. Both died after hospitalization (too late for treatment to save them)
5. Both represent preventable deaths

This suggests systemic ICE medical care failure, not just single facility problem.

ASSESSMENT¶

Confidence: HIGH

✅ Confirmed:
- Serawit Gezahegn Dejene, 45, Ethiopian asylum seeker
- Died Jan 29, 2025, 1:21 PM at Banner University Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ
- Detained at Eloy Aug 21, 2024 (161 days in custody)
- Abnormal pulse noted at intake - no follow-up for 4 months
- Collapsed in recreation yard Dec 19 with 20% weight loss
- Diagnosed with advanced HIV/AIDS, TB, multiple opportunistic infections
- Hospitalized Dec 23, intubated Jan 3, life support withdrawn Jan 29
- ME cause: "Complications of multiple infections in the setting of HIV"

⚠️ Disputed:
- Whether HIV screening was performed at intake (ICE claims compliance with protocols)
- Whether medical care met standard of care (advocacy groups dispute)
- Whether death was preventable (medical consensus: YES)

🔴 Critical Issues:
- HIV undiagnosed for 4 months in detention (should be identified at intake)
- TB undiagnosed for months creating public health risk (highly contagious)
- 20% weight loss ignored for months (catastrophic malnutrition)
- Abnormal pulse never followed up (noted August, ignored until December)
- Returned to detention Dec 21 despite suspected cancer and severe illness
- FIRRP report documents systematic neglect at Eloy during this period
- Parallel "Yari" case shows ongoing inadequate cancer care at Eloy

Assessment: This death was entirely preventable. HIV screening at intake would have identified his status. Early ART would have maintained his immune system. TB screening would have identified infection and enabled treatment. The 4-month delay between noting abnormal pulse and providing diagnostic care represents gross medical neglect. By December, he had advanced AIDS with multiple opportunistic infections - conditions that develop over months of untreated HIV. Every medical failure at Eloy compounded to cause his death.

Recommendation: Demand independent investigation of Eloy medical protocols, audit of all detainee medical records for similar neglect, TB contact tracing for all exposed individuals, HIV screening audit for all current Eloy detainees, criminal investigation of medical staff for negligence, termination of CoreCivic contract, release of all medically vulnerable detainees.

SOURCES¶

Official ICE Documents¶

News & Investigation¶

Advocacy & Reports¶

FOIA Requests¶

Other¶

Research completed: February 5, 2026, 10:15 UTC
Status: Second 2025 death documented (2/31 complete)
Next: Maksym Chernyak (Feb 20, 2025) - 44, Ukraine, stroke/brain bleeding

Published by Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
Methodology: Bellingcat-standard OSINT — public sources only