Former DACA Recipient Dies in ICE Custody After Being Hospitalized
A tragic incident has occurred in Victorville, California, where a Mexican national and former DACA recipient, Ismael Ayala-Uribe, 39, died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after being transferred to a local hospital. According to an ICE statement, Ayala-Uribe was pronounced dead on Sunday at the Victor Valley Global Medical Center.
This unfortunate event marks the 14th detainee death in immigration detention since January, when federal immigration officials began to carry out President Trump’s mass deportation agenda. The rising number of deaths in ICE custody has raised concerns among lawmakers and human rights advocates, with two Democratic senators from Georgia sending a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Todd Lyons, the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to address this issue.
Investigation and Concerns
The cause of Ayala-Uribe’s death is still under investigation, and the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill of 2018 requires that ICE make public reports regarding any in-custody deaths within 90 days. ICE officials have stated that they provide comprehensive medical care to detainees, including medical, dental, and mental health intake screening within 12 hours of arrival, as well as access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care.
However, critics have raised concerns about the conditions inside immigration detention centers, including inadequate medical care, overly restrictive segregation, and lax mental health services. In July, Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga) released the findings of a probe into alleged human rights violations at immigration detention centers, which included dozens of reports of physical and sexual abuse, and mistreatment of pregnant women and children.
Background and Circumstances
Ayala-Uribe entered the United States at an unknown date and location and applied for and received Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) protection in 2012. He was sentenced to three years’ probation after being convicted of driving while under the influence in 2015. In 2016, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services denied his application to renew his DACA status, and he was convicted of his second DUI in June 2019, resulting in a 120-day jail sentence and five years of probation.
Ayala-Uribe was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on August 17 and transferred to the Adelanto Detention Center on August 22. He was seen by an on-call medical provider, who prescribed medication, but was later sent to the Victor Valley Global Medical Center for further evaluation and treatment of an abscess on his buttock.
Ayala-Uribe’s family has organized a fundraiser to raise money for his funeral, selling traditional Mexican dishes such as tamales, carnitas, and pozole. The incident has sparked outrage and concern among immigration advocates and lawmakers, who are calling for greater accountability and transparency in ICE’s treatment of detainees.
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