Is Adelanto equipped to handle detainee influx?

Ayala-Uribe came to the U.S. when he was about 4 years old and had previously been protected from deportation under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. His renewal application was denied nearly a decade ago after he was convicted of driving under the influence.

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NOT LONG after arriving at Adelanto, Ismael Ayala-Uribe said that he felt sick.

(MYUNG J. CHUN Los Angeles Times)

"I'm angry, sad," Jose said. "My parents are pretty much broken."

Months ago, critics, including some staffers who work inside, told The Times that Adelanto was unsafe and unsanitary. They said the facility, which is run by the for-profit corrections firm GEO Group, was unprepared to handle a large increase in the number of detainees due to a shortage of experienced staffers.

An Adelanto staff member said Wednesday that conditions had improved with the hiring of more staffers to serve a population of about 1,795 detainees.

But the staffer, who requested anonymity because they did not want to lose their job, also said that some of the new hires lacked experience — a factor that could have played a role in Ayala-Uribe's death.

Ayala-Uribe is the 14th person to die in federal immigration custody since January. By comparison, 11 died in custody in 2024, seven in 2023, three in 2022 and five in 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number in 2020 was higher, at 18. Before that, there were nine deaths in 2019 and nine deaths in 2018.

GEO Group, which operates Adelanto and three other California immigration detention facilities, declined to comment and referred The Times to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE, said in a statement that federal immigration agencies are committed to ensuring the safety of people in its custody.

"Comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment individuals arrive and throughout the entirety of their stay," the statement said, adding that everyone in ICE custody has access to 24-hour medical emergency care. "At no time during detention is a detained illegal alien denied emergent care."