Overview

The Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Stewart County, Georgia is a CoreCivic-operated ICE facility with capacity exceeding 2,000 beds. It is one of the largest and most notorious ICE detention facilities in the country.

Population

Average daily population rose from ~1,500 to over 1,800 since January 2025.

Deaths

13 deaths in custody and 3 confirmed suicides since ICE began detaining people at Stewart in 2006.

Recent deaths (2025):

• Abelardo Avellaneda-Delgado, 68, Mexican national — died May 5, 2025, became unresponsive during transport to Stewart
• Jesus Molina-Veya, 45, Mexican national — died by suicide June 7, 2025

Georgia Senators Ossoff and Warnock blasted ICE over 14 total deaths across Georgia facilities.

Conditions

• Inept mental health care, solitary confinement, medical neglect
• Unsanitary conditions, forced labor, use of force
• Ongoing investigation into sexual assault by a detention center nurse
• Subject of DOJ investigations, ACLU lawsuits, and extensive reporting

Economic Capture

Stewart County (population ~6,000) is one of Georgia’s poorest counties. The detention center is the largest employer — classic economic capture.

Monitoring Organizations

• El Refugio — hospitality house in Lumpkin for visiting families
• Project South — conditions documentation
• Southern Center for Human Rights — litigation
• Georgia Detention Watch — ongoing monitoring

Sources

• American Immigration Council: Deaths in ICE Detention
• Detention Watch Network: Third suicide at Stewart
• Georgia Sun: Senators blast ICE over 14 deaths
• WABE: Georgia’s immigration detention system