Cambodian refugee dies in ICE custody in Philadelphia

A Cambodian refugee who came to the U.S. as a child died in a Philadelphia hospital after spending three days in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to federal officials. Parady La, 46, was detained outside his home in Upper Darby on Jan. 6 and hospitalized the following day after being found unresponsive in his cell. His death occurred as ICE faces heightened scrutiny over medical emergencies inside immigration detention facilities.

According to ICE, after La was transferred to the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia, he was experiencing severe drug withdrawal and was placed under medical observation. Detention medical staff were reportedly aware of his condition while he remained housed at the facility. “ICE is committed to ensuring that all those in custody reside in safe, secure and humane environments,” the agency said. “Comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment individuals arrive.”

ICE officials said officers later found La unresponsive inside his cell and initiated emergency measures, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the administration of naloxone, before he was transported to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Medical findings later cited by the agency included anoxic brain injury, shock and multi-organ failure. ICE has said it is conducting a review of the incident, which is standard procedure following a death in custody.

La’s family has disputed key elements of ICE’s account, saying his medical distress was visible and escalated well before he lost consciousness. Relatives have said La repeatedly sought help while experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms and questioned whether detention staff responded appropriately as his condition worsened.

“From what we’re hearing, that the inmates are saying, is that he said that he was withdrawing, told them that he was withdrawing, was asking for help for 24 hours, vomiting, and didn’t get any water,” his nephew Michael La told KYW Newsradio. Family members have said they are seeking medical records, surveillance footage and internal reports as they consider legal action related to his death.

Michael also started a GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses and support the deceased’s 23-year-old daughter, Jazmine La. Donations are also intended to assist the family as they pursue legal action related to his death at the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia.

Multiple detainee deaths have already been reported nationwide this year, following a record 32 deaths in immigration detention in 2025 (at least five were Asian nationals), the highest number in two decades. Legal experts and oversight groups have pointed to persistent concerns involving medical staffing, monitoring protocols and the handling of acute health crises, including withdrawal and mental health emergencies.

Shut Down Detention Campaign, which advocates for the closure of immigration detention facilities in Pennsylvania, said La’s death reflects deeper problems within the state’s detention system. “This is the fourth death in a little over two years in Pennsylvania detention centers,” the group said in a statement, citing what it described as a broader pattern of medical failures inside detention facilities across the state.