ICE and GEO Face Questions Over Medical Care After Detainee Nenko Gantchev Dies in ICE Custody
Last Updated on December 20, 2025 by JR
Chicago business owner Nenko Gantchev dies in ICE custody after court-ordered release was stayed
A Chicago-area small business owner, Nenko (Nenko Stanev) Gantchev, died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody on
December 15, 2025, while detained at the North Lake ICE detention facility in Baldwin, Michigan (operated by the private prison contractor
The GEO Group). According to reporting by ABC7 Chicago, his family and members of Congress are calling for an immediate investigation into the circumstances of his death,
including concerns about whether he received timely medical assistance.
ABC7 Chicago report.
ABC7 reports that Mr. Gantchev first came to the United States about 30 years ago on a student visa and later received a work permit. ABC7 also reports he
married a U.S. citizen in 2017 and was reportedly working to obtain a green card through marriage.
ABC7 Chicago.
The statutory “adjustment of status” provision is
INA § 245, 8 U.S.C. § 1255.
ABC7 reports that he was arrested on September 23, 2025 when he appeared at the USCIS Chicago office for an interview related to his green card application.
ABC7 further reports his wife was notified of his death on December 16—the couple’s eight-year wedding anniversary.
ABC7 Chicago.
Medical care concerns and legal obligations
ABC7 reports that Mr. Gantchev had Type 2 diabetes and that family and friends said he reported worsening health in detention, including claims that
no diabetic-appropriate diet accommodations were provided.
ABC7 Chicago.
Medical care in detention is required by the Constitution and is also addressed by federal statute.
When the government takes a person into custody and holds them against their will, constitutional due process principles impose a duty to provide for basic needs and safety, including medical care.
See, e.g.,
DeShaney v. Winnebago County Dep’t of Social Services, 489 U.S. 189 (1989)
(custody/restraint principles) and
Youngberg v. Romeo, 457 U.S. 307 (1982)
(due process protections for those institutionalized and dependent on the State).
Federal immigration law also expressly authorizes payments—including for “medical care”—in support of persons in immigration “administrative detention” housed in non-federal institutions.
See 8 U.S.C. § 1103(a)(11)(A).
GEO’s public description of its North Lake ICE facility states that its support services include
around-the-clock access to medical care and dietician-approved meals, among other services.
GEO: North Lake Processing Center (facility description).
ICE also publishes detention standards addressing medical care and food service expectations (often incorporated into detention contracting and oversight).
ICE PBNDS 2011 (Revised 2016).
ICE’s public account (as quoted in reporting) indicated that Mr. Gantchev was found unresponsive during routine checks, facility medical staff initiated CPR, EMS responded, and a physician pronounced him deceased.
ABC7 Chicago.
Potential legal accountability (general information).
When serious injury or death occurs in civil immigration detention, legal claims may include:
- State-law negligence / wrongful death claims against responsible private actors (including contractors and medical providers), typically governed by the law of the state where the injury occurred (here, Michigan).
- Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) claims against the United States for negligence by federal employees, subject to important limitations, including the “independent contractor” doctrine.
See Logue v. United States, 412 U.S. 521 (1973) and
United States v. Orleans, 425 U.S. 807 (1976). - Constitutional damages claims (Bivens) are generally difficult in contractor-operated detention contexts and are typically not available against private prison corporations or, in many circumstances, their employees where state tort remedies exist.
See Correctional Services Corp. v. Malesko, 534 U.S. 61 (2001) and
Minneci v. Pollard, 565 U.S. 118 (2012),
and the Supreme Court’s recent instruction that expanding Bivens is disfavored,
Egbert v. Boule, 596 U.S. 482 (2022). - Disability accommodation claims can be implicated in custody settings where qualifying medical conditions require reasonable accommodations under federal disability law.
See 29 U.S.C. § 794 (Rehabilitation Act § 504).
The district court release order and the Seventh Circuit stay
ABC7 reports that Mr. Gantchev was among hundreds of people whose custody status was affected by litigation over warrantless immigration arrests in the Chicago area,
including a district court order requiring releases/bond-related relief that was later stayed.
ABC7 Chicago.
The case is Castañon-Nava v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security (N.D. Ill. No. 18-cv-3757), which involves a consent decree governing certain ICE arrest practices,
including compliance with 8 U.S.C. § 1357(a)(2) (warrantless arrest authority).
- District Court (Judge Jeffrey I. Cummings):
Order (Nov. 13, 2025)
(release of specified individuals and bond/alternatives-to-detention framework for others).
The district court’s consent-decree enforcement/extension opinion is here:
Memorandum Opinion and Order (Oct. 7, 2025). - Seventh Circuit (panel and opinion): On December 11, 2025, the Seventh Circuit issued its stay decision in No. 25-3050.
The panel consisted of Judge Thomas L. Kirsch II, Judge John Z. Lee, and Judge Doris L. Pryor, with the opinion authored by Judge Lee.
Seventh Circuit opinion (Dec. 11, 2025).
ABC7 reports that after the order was stayed, Mr. Gantchev faced a difficult choice between continuing to fight for release while remaining detained or accepting voluntary removal—an option his family said he did not want.
ABC7 reports he was found unresponsive in custody days later.
ABC7 Chicago.
Why North Lake (Michigan) instead of Illinois
ABC7 reports that ICE used North Lake to hold Chicago-area detainees in part because Illinois law restricts agreements to detain people in privately operated detention facilities.
Private Detention Facility Moratorium Act (730 ILCS 141).
Other reported deaths at GEO-operated ICE detention facilities
Mr. Gantchev’s death is part of a broader pattern of deaths and serious medical-care controversies reported at ICE detention sites operated by private contractors, including GEO Group facilities.
Public reporting, lawsuits, and advocacy investigations have documented multiple deaths at GEO-operated ICE detention centers in different states—raising recurring questions about medical screening, chronic-care management, emergency response, and transparency after a death occurs.
- Adelanto ICE Processing Center (California; GEO Group): Disability Rights California reported the September 2025 death of former DACA recipient Ismael Ayala-Uribe (39) at Adelanto, which it described as a GEO-run facility facing overcrowding and medical-access concerns.
Read the DRC report.
- Northwest ICE Processing Center / NWIPC (Tacoma, Washington; GEO Group): KIRO 7 reported litigation seeking records regarding the October 2024 death of José Manuel Sanchez Castro, who died shortly after being booked into NWIPC, a GEO-operated ICE detention facility.
Read the KIRO 7 report.
- Mesa Verde Detention Facility (California; GEO Group): Disability Rights California reported the 2021 death of Choung Woong Ahn at Mesa Verde—an ICE detention facility it identified as operated by GEO—and called for federal and state investigation.
Read the DRC press release.
- Aurora Contract Detention Facility / ACDF (Colorado; GEO Group): The ACLU of Colorado has pursued litigation and public reporting related to deaths and alleged medical-care failures at ACDF, a GEO-operated ICE detention facility, including the death of Kamyar Samimi.
ACLU of Colorado (records litigation background).
ICE maintains a detainee death reporting page and publishes death-related releases. For ongoing tracking and official reference points:
Are you worried about your marriage-based green card interview?
If you have a pending marriage-based green card case and you are worried about an interview, prior removal history, or ICE enforcement risk, you should get individualized legal advice before attending any USCIS appointment.
An experienced immigration attorney can review your case, assess risk factors, and help you understand options—including whether to attend an interview, request a postponement, or take other protective steps.
Marriage Green Card Lawyer in Chicago | Free Consultation
Contact for Free Consultation
Or book directly: Schedule a 30-minute consultation
Primary reporting referenced:
ABC7 Chicago: Bulgarian Chicago business owner Nenko Gantchev dies in ICE custody
Note: This post is general information and not legal advice. Facts described above are based on publicly available reporting and court documents linked in-line.