Dying in Detention

In September 2025, 39-year-old Ismael Ayala-Uribe died one month after entering the ICE processing center in Adelanto, California. His family says he repeatedly reported intense pain and sought medical help but received little beyond Tylenol; his heart stopped minutes after he reached a hospital. He was among more than 50 people who died in immigration custody during Donald Trump’s first 500 days back in office. Fault Lines investigates failures in medical care and oversight, alleged retaliation against hunger strikers, and the rapid expansion of privately run detention facilities.