Wrongful Death Suit in Death of Immigrant Settled

The widow of a Mexican citizen who died while in immigration custody in south Georgia and the federal government have reached a settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit.

Lawyers for Sara Hernandez-Gonzalez and the government told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution they would not disclose the settlement terms.

Roberto Medina-Martinez died in March 2009 after having been held for about a month at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility. An autopsy showed he died of myocarditis, an inflammatory heart disease.

The lawsuit filed in March alleged the medical staff at the Stewart Detention Center was negligent and didn’t provide proper medical care to Medina-Martinez. It sought $1 million in damages.

Court filings indicate the two sides plan to finalize their agreement by September and then file papers to dismiss the case.