A 39-year-old Mexican national died over the weekend while held at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, which continues to be criticized for unsafe conditions and inadequate medical care.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) identified the man as Ismael Ayala-Uribe, a former DACA recipient. ICE says Ayala-Uribe was taken to Victor Valley Global Medical Center after being hospitalized for an abscess and was initially scheduled for surgery. In a press release, ICE developed hypertension and an irregular heartbeat before being pronounced dead Sunday morning.
Ayala-Uribe had been detained at Adelanto for about a month following an arrest by U.S. Border Patrol in Orange County. His DACA status was revoked after a 2015 DUI arrest. He was convicted of another DUI in 2019.
Immigrant-rights advocates say Ayala-Uribe’s death underscores persistent concerns about conditions inside the for-profit facility, which is operated by the GEO Group under contract with ICE. The Adelanto center has faced repeated federal investigations and lawsuits alleging unsanitary conditions, delayed medical treatment and unsafe practices.
“We need a full, independent investigation into what happened and why,” the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice said in a statement Monday, calling the death “preventable and tragic.”
ICE says that all detainees receive medical screening and access to 24-hour emergency care. “Comprehensive medical services are provided to those in custody,” the agency said.
ICE also said a formal review of Ayala-Uribe’s death is underway.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, which serves as the county coroner, is also investigating.
Sheriff Shannon Dicus also shared in a statement Wednesday that he’s planning to place additional patrols near the detention center in response to a shooting at an ICE facility in Dallas that resulted in two deaths.
“With all the violence happening across the country, your deputies remain vigilant,” said Dicus. “Please partner with us and if you see something, say something, even threats on social media. We will respond in a significant manner to any extremist activity in this county.”
Adelanto’s ICE Processing Center is one of the largest immigrant detention facilities in California, with capacity for more than 1,900 people. As of July, there were 1,400 people detained there.
