VICTORVILLE – The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced September 23 that a man in custody was pronounced dead at Victor Valley Global Medical Center in Victorville at 2:32 a.m. on September 22.
Ismael Ayala-Uribe, 39, a Mexican national, was evaluated by a medical provider at Adelanto ICE Processing Center on September 18, given medication, and returned to his dorm.
On September 21, he was transferred to Victor Valley Global Medical Center for treatment of an abscess on his buttock and scheduled for surgery. He also had hypertension and abnormal tachycardia.
Ayala was found unresponsive at 1:48 a.m. the following day. Despite lifesaving efforts, he was pronounced dead at 2:32 a.m.
The cause of death is still under investigation.
DACA recipient
ICE said Ayala entered the United States at an unknown date and location. He received DACA status in 2012, but his renewal was denied in 2016.
In 2015, he was convicted of DUI in Orange County and sentenced to three years’ probation. In 2019, he was convicted of a second DUI and sentenced to 120 days in jail and five years’ probation.
Ayala was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on August 17 during an enforcement action and transferred to Adelanto August 22 for immigration proceedings.
17th in custody death in FY 2025
As required by policy, ICE notified DHS, the Inspector General, its Office of Professional Responsibility, and the Mexican Consulate.
ICE also informs Congress, NGOs, and the media after a detainee’s death, and must post a public report within 90 days under the 2018 DHS Appropriations Bill.
Ayala is the 17th detainee to die in custody for FY 2025.
ICE statement on medical care
ICE says it is committed to providing safe, secure, and humane custody. Detainees receive medical care from intake through their stay, including screening within 12 hours of arrival, a full exam within 14 days, access to appointments, and 24-hour emergency care.
ICE says emergency care is never denied.
In a 2023 report the DHS Office of Inspector General found that in several ICE detainee deaths, systemic weaknesses existed in communication, emergency response time, documentation, and patient care, though it concluded that for most cases there was no evidence of overarching policy failure.
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