Chinese national dies in ICE custody

An undocumented Chinese national died at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Calexico, California, on Sept. 29 after suffering an apparent seizure, marking the second death in the agency’s custody in the state within two weeks.

What happened: Staff at the Imperial Regional Detention Facility reported that Huabing Xie became unresponsive at around 2:13 p.m. They performed emergency measures before paramedics arrived and continued life-saving efforts during his transport to El Centro Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 3:15 p.m. ICE confirmed that an investigation is underway and that it has informed the Chinese consulate, per its policy.

About Xie: Xie has no known criminal records. Border authorities first arrested him on Dec. 31, 2023, near Tecate, then released him after initiating deportation proceedings. Agents arrested him again on Sept. 12 in Indio, with his transfer to ICE detention occurring the next day, roughly two weeks before his death. Advocates have raised concerns about whether detention staff knew of any health issues Xie may have had, whether he reported symptoms before becoming unresponsive and if officers used physical force during either arrest.

The big picture: At least 15 people have now died in ICE detention facilities since January, a toll that Democratic senators reportedly characterize as the deadliest six-month period for detained immigrants since 2018. Xie appears to be the fourth Asian man to die in ICE custody this year, following Nhon Ngoc Nguyen’s, Tien Xuan Phan’s and Chaofeng Ge’s deaths in April, July and August, respectively. Ismael Ayala-Uribe, 39, a Mexican national and another California detainee, died in the hospital on Sept. 22 after being transferred from Adelanto ICE Processing Center.

Management and Training Corporation, the Utah-based private contractor operating the Imperial facility, has previously faced complaints including claims of extended solitary confinement and cells with mold and contaminated water.