Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Chris Kitching

Brit man, 39, found hanged at US immigration centre was being held on stalking charges

A British man who died in a US immigration detention centre has been named as Ben James Owen.

The 39-year-old's preliminary cause of death was asphyxiation due to hanging, it is reported.

Owen was being held at the Baker County Detention Center in Macclenny, Florida, following his arrest on suspicion of aggravated stalking, false imprisonment and domestic assault.

The Brit, who entered the US on a temporary visa in July last year, was the fifth person to die in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody since October.

“Our staff are in contact with the US authorities following the death of a British man in Florida,” said a spokeswoman for the Foreign Office in London.

Have you been affected by the incident? Email webnews@mirror.co.uk

The Brit died in Baker County Detention Center (Google Streetview)

Foreign Office officials are understood to have been in contact with the deceased man’s wife, as US officials investigate the circumstances of the death.

Mr Owen is a married father-of-two who worked as an electrician, MailOnline reported.

Six people have died in ICE detention since July (Getty Images)

His wife Tammy Jane is from New York but lives in Tennessee, according to her social media accounts.

"He met his wife Tammy and got married a year ago," friend Ryan Gibbons told the publication.

"He was on the verge of getting his green card to stay in the USA and carry on working. It’s absolutely heartbreaking and devastating and doesn't ring true that he would ever do this. We all miss him terribly and will never forget him."

Mr Owen was originally from Stourbridge in the West Midlands.

Since the beginning of the Trump administration the immigration detention population has soared.

Last year Ice detained 510,854 people, compared with 396,448 in 2018.

The number of detention facilities has increased significantly, with most run by private companies.

On Monday a 63-year-old man from Cuba became the sixth person to die in ICE custody since July.

The preliminary cause of death was cardiac arrest.

The Samaritans is available 24/7 if you need to talk. You can contact them for free by calling 116 123, email   jo@samaritans.org or head to the  website to find your nearest branch. You matter.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.