Four Migrants Die in U.S. ICE Custody in First Ten Days of the Year, Raising Alarms

At least four migrants have died while in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during the first ten days of the year, sparking renewed concern over conditions inside immigration detention centers.

The most recent death involved 68-year-old Honduran national Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz, an undocumented migrant held at the Imperial Regional Detention Facility in Calexico, California. According to ICE, Yanez-Cruz complained of chest pain on January 4 and was taken to the facility’s medical unit. As his condition worsened, he was transferred to El Centro Regional Medical Center and later airlifted to John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Indio, where he died from heart-related complications.

Earlier in January, three other migrants also died while in ICE custody. Reports indicate that the deceased included citizens of Cuba and Cambodia. The causes of death were linked to heart disease, drug-related complications, and other serious health conditions.

The deaths come as the number of people held in ICE detention continues to rise. Government figures show that nearly 69,000 migrants were in ICE custody at the beginning of January, marking a significant increase in detentions in recent weeks.

Human rights organizations and immigrant advocacy groups have expressed deep concern over the fatalities. They argue that detention centers lack adequate medical care and that individuals with severe illnesses are often held for extended periods without proper treatment, increasing the risk of death. Some groups are calling for the closure of ICE detention facilities altogether.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security and ICE officials, however, maintain that detainees are provided with necessary medical care and that every death in custody is thoroughly reviewed.

The issue has added fuel to an already intense national debate over U.S. immigration enforcement. Protests have also erupted in recent weeks following the death of a woman during an immigration operation in Minnesota. Together, these incidents have intensified political and human rights scrutiny of immigration policies, detention conditions, and enforcement practices across the country.