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By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
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A former DACA recipient died in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Victor Valley Global Medical Center in Victorville, California, on Sunday, according to a news release.
Ismael Ayala-Uribe had been transferred to the medical facility from the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, which previously faced criticism over medical care and inhumane conditions.
Why It Matters
It's the 14th death in ICE custody since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's records show.
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Amid the administration's hard-line deportation strategy, the death raises questions about detainee medical care and oversight for those in ICE custody. Newsweek has previously reported several allegations of abuse at ICE-run detention centers in California operated by CoreCivic and Geo Group, including cases of medical neglect and mistreatment of migrants.
What To Know
ICE agents arrested Ayala-Uribe on August 17 during an enforcement operation in San Bernardino County. He was subsequently transferred to the Adelanto facility on August 22.
According to ICE, he was evaluated by a medical provider on September 18 and diagnosed with an abscess requiring surgical intervention. He also had a history of high blood pressure and tachycardia. On September 21, he was referred to the hospital for further evaluation and was scheduled for surgery. He was pronounced unresponsive and later died early on September 23.
ICE said in a news release that the cause of death remained under investigation. However, Ayala-Uribe's mother told CBS News that he died after suffering cardiac arrest.
Ayala-Uribe's family said he was healthy when detained over a month ago but became ill during the last two weeks of his custody, the media platform L.A. Taco reported. His mother, Lucia Ayala, visited him weekly and noticed the onset of a cough, the outlet said.
She encouraged him to request medical attention, but he said he was not receiving care, according to the report. The following week, his condition worsened, and despite repeated attempts by his mother to have him treated, he continued to report that his concerns were not taken seriously by facility staff. When he began experiencing severe symptoms, including shaking in his cell, fellow detainees alerted the guards. Staff administered Tylenol and an injection, but his condition did not improve.
"Saturday was the last time I visited him," Lucia Ayala told CBS News. "He looked very pale and his hands appeared red."
Ayala-Uribe came to the U.S. at the age of 4 and was approved for DACA protections in 2012, but his request for renewal was denied in 2016. ICE noted that he had two prior DUI convictions, one in 2015 and another in 2019 and was sentenced to 120 days in jail and five years of probation, according to CBS News.
DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, provides temporary protection from deportation for certain young adults, often referred to as "Dreamers," and grants them eligibility for work authorization. Currently, the federal government is not accepting new applications for the program because of federal court rulings, though individuals already in the program may apply for renewals.
What People Are Saying
Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement: "ICE remains committed to ensuring that all those in its custody reside in safe, secure and humane environments. Comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment individuals arrive and throughout the entirety of their stay."
**Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice wrote on social media: "**For-profit detention centers like Adelanto cannot provide adequate medical care, safe or humane treatment."
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