Officials Investigate Death of Mexican Man in ICE Custody in Southern California
39-year-old Ismael Ayala-Uribe died after surgery for an abscess at Adelanto facility; cause of death under investigation; family and Mexican authorities respond; detainee deaths rise this year
Officials are investigating the death of a 39-year-old Mexican man who was in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody in Southern California. Ismael Ayala-Uribe was transferred Sunday from the Adelanto Processing Center to a regional hospital for surgery on an abscess on his buttock, according to an ICE statement. Hospital staff found him unresponsive and began lifesaving measures, but he was pronounced dead around 2:30 a.m. Monday. The cause of death is under investigation.
Ayala-Uribe also suffered from hypertension and tachycardia, according to ICE.
Federal records show Ayala-Uribe is the 14th detainee to die in immigration detention since January, when immigration officials began to implement President Trump’s mass deportation agenda. There were 11 detention deaths in 2024.
His family said Ayala-Uribe had high blood pressure but was otherwise healthy. His brother told the Los Angeles Times that Ayala-Uribe developed a cough and fever shortly after arriving at the Adelanto facility on Aug. 22.
Mexico’s Foreign Relations Department offered its condolences to the family and said the Mexican Consulate in San Bernardino would follow up with authorities at the immigration detention center to ensure a thorough investigation to fully clarify the cause of death. Mexico also reiterated its commitment to protect and defend the human rights of Mexicans abroad.
According to ICE, Ayala-Uribe entered the United States at an unknown date and location. He applied for, and received, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals protection in 2012. In 2016, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services denied his renewal. He had been convicted of two DUIs.
The Adelanto ICE Processing Center, located in Southern California, has been the site of multiple detainee deaths and ongoing scrutiny over medical care, conditions, and oversight. Federal investigators and immigration authorities say they will review the medical care provided to Ayala-Uribe and the overall conditions of detention as part of the ongoing inquiry into his death.