Detainee dies in ICE custody amid reported medical neglect

In the United States, a Mexican national and former DACA recipient named Ismael Ayala-Uribe died while in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on September 24, 2023. Ayala-Uribe, 39 years old, was arrested by ICE agents on August 17, 2023, during an enforcement operation and was subsequently transferred to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center on August 22 for immigration proceedings. His detention raised concerns regarding the treatment of detainees and the level of medical care provided in such facilities, particularly in light of reports from his family that he was not receiving adequate medical attention while in custody. On September 18, 2023, while held at the Adelanto Center, Ayala-Uribe was evaluated by an on-call medical provider and was given medication for his condition before being returned to his dormitory. His health appeared to decline, and on the weekend before his death, he was referred to a hospital for further evaluation due to an abscess on his buttock. Reports indicate that he was hypertensive and exhibited tachycardia. Tragically, around 1:50 a.m. on September 24, hospital staff found Ayala-Uribe unresponsive. Despite attempts at life-saving measures, he was pronounced dead less than an hour later. The cause of death is currently under investigation by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. Ayala-Uribe was originally brought to the U.S. at the age of four and had received Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status in 2012. However, his DACA renewal was denied in 2016. Throughout his time in the U.S., he faced legal challenges, including convictions for DUI in 2015 and 2019. His family reported that he was in good health upon being transferred to the detention center and expressed concerns about his well-being during their visits. They indicated that he had conveyed to them a lack of medical care within the facility, raising questions about the adequacy of health services provided to detainees in ICE custody. Such issues have led public officials and advocates to criticize the treatment of detainees and the policies followed under the current administration, highlighting systemic shortcomings in the immigration detention system. The death of Ismael Ayala-Uribe marks a significant event, as he became the 14th detainee to die in ICE custody since President Trump took office and is the first documented death in California's immigration detention centers. This situation has prompted further scrutiny of ICE policies and the conditions experienced by detainees, particularly in terms of access to proper medical care and humane treatment while in custody.