Rep. Chu Leads 31 Members in Demanding Accountability Following Death of 39-Year-Old Ismael Ayala-Uribe in ICE Custody

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Rep Judy Chu (CA-28) led 31 Members of Congress in a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Noem and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)Acting Director Lyons demanding answers and accountability regarding the untimely death of Ismael Ayala-Uribe, a 39-year-old resident of Westminster, California, who died while in ICE custody on September 22, 2025, after his repeated pleas for medical care were ignored at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center.

Mr. Ayala-Uribe came to the United States when he was four years old and had lived here his entire life. While detained at Adelanto, he became ill and reported having fever, pain, and worsening symptoms. Yet instead of receiving care, he was dismissed by Adelanto’s medical staff and sent back to his dormitory. For three days, his condition deteriorated without proper treatment. By the time he was finally transported to the hospital, it was too late. At just 39 years old, he died before receiving the surgery that could have saved his life.

“Mr. Ayala-Uribe’s untimely death while in ICE custody was a preventable tragedy. His pleas for help were ignored by those responsible for overseeing his care until it was far too late. This was an inexcusable failure to uphold even the most basic standards of medical care for people in federal custody,” said Rep. Chu. “But what happened to Mr. Ayala-Uribe is sadly not an isolated incident. It reflects a horrific, well-documented pattern of neglect at Adelanto, where detainees have been forced to endure conditions so dangerous and inhumane that they have led to multiple deaths. That’s why we are demanding full transparency and accountability to ensure tragedies like this never happen again.”

The letter presses DHS and ICE for a full accounting of the circumstances surrounding Mr. Ayala-Uribe’s death, including the medical decisions made at Adelanto and what corrective actions are being implemented. The letter also underscores that the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, operated by the GEO Group, has been repeatedly cited for unsafe, unsanitary, and life-threatening conditions. Since January 2025, at least 15 people have died in federal immigration custody, marking a sharp increase from previous years, including during the first Trump administration. For more than a decade, Rep. Chu has called for the closure of Adelanto and continues to urge DHS to immediately shut down the facility, citing the long history of abuse, medical neglect, and human rights violations.

Rep. Chu’s letter was signed by 31 Members of Congress: Reps. Barragán (CA-44); Brownley (CA-26), Carbajal (CA-24), Casar (TX-35), Cisneros (CA-31), Clarke (NY-09), Correa (CA-46), Espaillat (NY-13), Friedman (CA-30), Garamendi (CA-08), García (CA-42), Garcia (IL-04), Goldman (NY-10), Jayapal (WA-07), Johnson (GA-04), Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Lieu (CA-36), McGovern (MA-02), Min (CA-47), Mullin (CA-15), Rivas (CA-29), Sánchez (CA-38), Simon CA-12), Smith (WA-09), Stansbury (NM-01), Takano (CA-39), Tlaib (MI-12), Torres (CA-35), Tran (CA-45), Vargas (CA-52), and Velázquez (NY-07). 

Click here to read the full letter.