Ben Owen

Ben James Owen, 39, died on January 25, 2020, while held in immigration detention at the Baker County Detention Center in Florida, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's list of deaths in its custody. A 2024 report by Physicians for Human Rights, titled Deadly Failures, says he died by suicide. The report says officers falsely logged wellness checks in the hours before he was found dead, and that the logging method did not require visual contact.

Cause of death, as reported: Died by suicide (neglect alleged). The Deadly Failures report says staff falsely logged wellness checks in the hours before he was found dead, and that the logging method did not require visual contact.

Reported by: Deadly Failures report (advocates).

News reports (2)

• Detainee Death Report: Owen, Ben James U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Detainee Death Reporting and List of Deaths in ICE Custody
• Deadly Failures: Preventable Deaths in U.S. Immigration Detention - PHR - Physicians for Human Rights Physicians for Human Rights - PHR, June 25, 2024