Scandal Rocks Nassau Jail: ICE Detainee Dies Without Adequate Medical Care, Officials Allege!

A federal report obtained by Newsday has revealed that staff at the Nassau County Correctional Center provided inadequate medical care to Santos Banegas Reyes, a 42-year-old Honduran father of two, who died in custody last year while detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Banegas Reyes was booked into the East Meadow jail on September 17, 2025, and was found unresponsive the next morning, pronounced dead at 6:45 a.m. Although ICE later stated he was experiencing alcohol withdrawal, federal investigators concluded that he received insufficient care during his detention.

The six-page report, dated December 11, 2025, and compiled by the ICE Health Service Corps, explicitly states that Nassau County Correctional Center (NCCC) staff “did not provide Mr. BANEGAS medical care within the safe limits of practice.” Oscar Michelen, the attorney representing Banegas Reyes’ family, expressed outrage upon learning of the report, emphasizing that his client would likely still be alive if he had received average, standard medical care for alcohol withdrawal, a common and treatable condition.

Newsday's investigation confirmed the federal report's findings, highlighting several critical failures. Jail staff did not properly monitor Banegas Reyes' symptoms or “ensure proof of life” during routine cell checks. Upon his arrival, Banegas Reyes exhibited a hernia, tremors, and alcohol withdrawal symptoms, but corrections staff failed to appropriately monitor or treat these, neglecting to record the severity of his symptoms or continue monitoring them after his intake screening. Furthermore, there was no record of a referral to a higher level of medical or behavioral health care, and medical practitioners did not inform custody staff of his symptoms before he was cleared to join the general population. The report specifically noted that NCCC custody staff “did not look inside cells during rounds/wellness checks to ensure proof of life.”

The report, which was among several dozen reviews briefly posted on ICE's website and then removed, was obtained by Newsday via an archived version of the federal site. Project Salt Box, a Baltimore-based government accountability nonprofit, first noticed and republished these death reports. The document itself was marked “PREDECISIONAL/DELIBERATIVE PROCESS - FOR INTERNAL DISCUSSION ONLY/NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION” with these words struck through, raising questions about whether it was intended for public release.

In response to the findings, an ICE spokesperson did not comment. Tommy Meara, a spokesperson for the Nassau University Medical Center, which provides medical care in the jail, stated that they are deeply saddened by the death, cooperated fully with the review, and continue to evaluate their processes. Chris Boyle, a spokesperson for County Executive Bruce Blakeman, indicated that the county executive had not yet reviewed the report. Blakeman had previously entered Nassau County into an agreement with ICE to hold detainees, an arrangement that was later banned by a New York State law that went into effect in August, meaning the jail no longer holds immigration detainees.

While the document commended jail staff for responding quickly, administering CPR, and calling 911 after discovering Banegas Reyes unresponsive, the core issue of inadequate preparatory care remains. This new report follows ICE’s February statement that Banegas Reyes was experiencing alcohol withdrawal, a claim differing from their initial assertion of liver failure, which family members disputed. Neither the February report nor the newly obtained document identifies a specific cause of death. The New York Attorney General’s Office previously declined to open a larger case, citing a lack of investigative authority or criminal jurisdiction. However, an investigation into Banegas Reyes’ death by the New York State Commission of Correction is ongoing. These revelations are expected to increase scrutiny on the East Meadow jail, especially given past inspections by Democratic lawmakers while it held ICE detainees.