A Canadian man held at an Arizona immigration facility has died in disputed circumstances, prompting diplomatic tensions and renewed scrutiny of U.S. detention center conditions. Jean-Philippe Langlois, a 34-year-old software engineer from Montreal, died at 1:47 a.m. at the Eloy Detention Center, making him the first Canadian national to die in the custody of ICE in nearly two years.
Medical Emergency in Detention
Detention center staff reportedly responded to a medical emergency involving Langlois at around 3:15 AM local time on Tuesday, ICE officials said. He was pronounced dead at 3:55 a.m. despite efforts to revive him. Langlois was being treated for unspecified chronic health issues during his 11 days in detention, according to initial reports from ICE. But medical records obtained by human rights groups show that Langlois was a Type 1 diabetic who needed regular insulin therapy, leading to immediate questions about the quality of his care.
Canada Demands Full Investigation
Late Wednesday evening, Global Affairs Canada confirmed that it had summoned U.S. Ambassador David Cohen for urgent talks following the incident. “If the information is correct about a lack of medical care for our citizens, we are very distressed by these reports,” said Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly. Canada will expect full cooperation from U.S. officials in their investigation into this tragedy.” Canadian consular officials had been to see Langlois himself just three days before his death, after being alerted to concerns that his health conditions were not being adequately treated.
Circumstances Leading to Detention
Langlois had legally entered the United States on June 3, holding a valid H-1B work visa. He was taken into custody during what normally would have been a routine check-in with ICE agents on June 15, after officers saw a decades-old misdemeanor conviction in a background check. “Low-level crimes like that were not leading to detention before, but this new memo and so-called guidance have new criteria for detention,” said Sarah Pierce, an immigration analyst at the Migration Policy Institute, a nonprofit research organization based in Washington.
Facility’s Troubled History
The private prison company CoreCivic, which operates the Eloy Detention Center, has been accused of neglecting medical needs there repeatedly. A 2024 Department of Homeland Security Inspector General report detailed numerous instances of delayed medication distribution at the facility, including 14 individual cases involving insulin-dependent detainees. CoreCivic also says the right protocols were in place for Langlois, with its medical team “providing care consistent with ICE standards.”
Growing International Criticism
Death prompts condemnation from human rights groups on both sides of the border. The ACLU and Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network are demanding an independent autopsy, expressing concerns in the past about ICE’s transparency in custody death cases. “The lack of medical care in these for-profit detention centers is a known pattern,” ACLU attorney Rebecca Stern said. “When it’s a known and manageable condition like Type 1 diabetes, and someone dies in custody, it indicates systemic failure, not an isolated incident.”
Multiple Investigations Launched
Other agencies have opened investigations into Langlois’ death. The ICE Office of Professional Responsibility has opened a required review, and the D.H.S.’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties has opened its inquiry. An autopsy will be performed by the Pinal County Medical Examiner’s office, the results of which will take 72 hours.
Family Seeks Answers
Langlois’ family in Montreal is outraged by his treatment. His sister, Élise Langlois, told journalists, “Jean-Philippe was a great engineer who came to America legally to work. His life depended on insulin — this wasn’t a secret. How does this happen in a country with sophisticated medical care?” The family has created a memorial fund in support of reforming immigration detention.
