Bulgarian FM Expresses Confidence in US Probe into Death of Bulgarian in ICE Detention Center

Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev said he is confident in the actions of the United States authorities following the death of a Bulgarian citizen in an immigration detention facility in Michigan. Speaking to Bulgarian National Television, Georgiev noted that an official investigation is underway and that the Bulgarian side has also called for full clarification of the case.

Further reading: Bulgarian Man Dies in U.S. ICE Jail - Outrage Grows Over 'Preventable' Death

Nencho Ganchev, a 56 year old Bulgarian national suffering from type 2 diabetes, died on Monday while being held at the North Lake immigration detention center. He had been detained since late September. According to Georgiev, once the investigation is completed, the circumstances surrounding the death should become clear. He stressed that all citizens are required to comply with the migration rules of the country in which they reside and added that, according to available information, this was not Ganchev’s first detention related to illegal residence.

Conflicting accounts over Ganchev’s status and past

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stated that Ganchev had been living in the United States illegally and cited past arrests linked to criminal activity dating back to the 1990s and early 2000s. However, according to reports cited by Nova TV, these arrests involved minor offenses from around 17 years ago and did not result in convictions.

Ganchev’s wife disputes the official US version, saying her husband had been running a legitimate transport business for about 15 years and was detained while attending an interview related to a new green card application. Family members say this interview was the last time his wife saw him alive.

Life in the US and detention circumstances

Ganchev, originally from Karlovo, had lived in the United States for more than three decades, having first entered the country on a student visa. He owned a small trucking company and frequently drove the vehicles himself. He was detained on September 23 during Operation Midway Blitz, a large scale enforcement operation that led to the arrest of more than 3,000 migrants.

According to relatives, Ganchev was found unconscious on the floor of his cell during a routine check on Monday evening. His wife has since hired a lawyer, and the family is awaiting the final autopsy results, which are expected to clarify whether detention conditions contributed directly to his death.

Calls for transparency and concerns over conditions

Several Democratic members of the US Congress have requested additional information about Ganchev’s death, as well as details about conditions at the North Lake facility. Concerns raised include reports of low temperatures, inadequate and poor quality food, unsanitary conditions, and limited access to medical care.

Georgiev, a former foreign minister, reiterated that Bulgarian authorities are working strictly with official information and expressed hope that the investigation will establish the exact cause of death. He emphasized that once the findings are released, the full picture of what happened to the Bulgarian citizen in US custody should become clear.