CNN —A Nicaraguan national who died last week in federal immigration custody had spent more than one year in detention. Despite having been recommended for release more than seven months ago, he continued to be held in immigration custody, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. In November 2022, an ICE panel recommended Rocha-Cuadra be released from custody, but officials at the facility declined to release him, a statement from the SPLC said. In a written statement to the press, Rocha-Cuadra’s brother joined a chorus of immigration rights advocates calling for the ICE facility to be investigated. Rocha-Cuadra had been in immigration custody after crossing the border illegally near Andrade, California, on April 17, 2022, according to a statement from ICE earlier this week.

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Persons: Ernesto Rocha, Rocha, Cuadra, Ernesto, “ NOLA, Cuadra’s, Frank Rocha, noncitizen, “, ” Organizations: CNN —, Nicaraguan, Southern Poverty Law Center, Immigration, Customs, New Orleans ICE Field Office, “, “ NOLA ICE ”, ICE, CNN, GEO, Inc, GEO Group, . Immigration, Healthcare, Central Louisiana ICE Processing, ICE Health Services Corps Locations: Cuadra, ICE’s, Jena , Louisiana, Andrade , California, ICE’s Central Louisiana