This post remains published for posterity.
The In Memoriam Page is the complete listing.
NCAVP mourns the death of 33 year old Roxsana Hernández. According to media reports, Hernández was processed into the US and transferred to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on May 13, 2018. On May 16, she was transferred to a special unit for transgender detainees within a for-profit jail facility in New Mexico. When Hernández presented with symptoms of pneumonia, dehydration, and complications associated with HIV she was then transferred to Lovelace Medical Center in Albuquerque, NM where she died on May 25, 2018.
“Paired with the abuse we know transgender people regularly suffer in ICE detention, the death of Ms. Hernández sends the message that transgender people are disposable and do not deserve dignity, safety, or even life,” said Isa Noyola, Deputy Director at Transgender Law Center (TLC).
ICE officials failed to provide any additional details regarding the condition she was in when she entered the jail facility. Nakai Flotte, an organizer with Diversidad Sin Fronteras, travelled with Hernandez until “she got sick during the icebox where they separated her form everyone else.”
We know it can be hard to read these reports of violence against our communities. If you need support in these difficult times, you can always reach out to your local NCAVP member. If you or someone you know is experiencing violence, you can reach our free bilingual national hotline at 212-714-1141 or report online for support.
NCAVP works to prevent, respond to, and end all forms of violence against and within lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) and HIV-affected communities. NCAVP is a national coalition of local member programs and affiliate organizations who create systemic and social change. NCAVP is a program of the New York City Anti-Violence Project.