Ismael Ayala-Uribe
Ismael Ayala-Uribe, 39, had lived in Westminster since being brought to the United States as a young child and had worked for about 15 years at a Fountain Valley car wash, where customers asked for him by name, according to a former manager and his family. He was held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in California, and he died on September 22, 2025, after being taken to Victor Valley Global Medical Center for surgery on an abscess. ICE says he was seen by medical staff before his transfer and that the cause of death is under investigation, while his family says he asked for medical help for weeks and was not taken seriously. A congressional letter says he was reportedly denied treatment, and an internal ICE review, as reported, found his care deviated from safe practice; Wellpath disputes the family's lawsuit claims.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed; neglect alleged). Hospital staff reported septic shock from an untreated abscess; his family's lawsuit says staff ignored his requests for treatment, an internal ICE review found his care fell beyond safe practice limits, and Wellpath disputes the lawsuit's claims.
Reported by: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (the agency that held him); hospital staff at Victor Valley Global Medical Center; his family's lawsuit (family or their lawyers); Reps. Dave Min, Judy Chu and 43 others in a congressional letter; media reports; immigration advocates.
Lawsuit: His family filed a lawsuit alleging he did not receive proper medical treatment while detained at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center.
News reports (11)
- Detainee Death Report: Ayala Uribe, Ismael
- Ismael Ayala-Uribe, Held at Adelanto ICE Center, Dies in Victorville Hospital
- Family ‘devastated’ and asking questions over death of 39-year-old Westminster man in ICE custody
- Orange County man Ismael Ayala-Uribe, held at IE facility, becomes 14th immigrant to die while in ICE custody
- Ismael Ayala-Uribe death: Family and friends seek answers after Orange County man dies in ICE custody
- Family of Orange County man who died in ICE custody plans to file lawsuit
- Southern California reps demand accountability in ICE deaths
- ICE Prisons Are Growing Deadlier
- Family of Orange County man who died in ICE detention sues prison operator
- Virginia Joins Multistate Push Against ICE Rollback on Detainee Death Reporting
- ICE Is a Death Machine