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Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz began telling his family that he wasn’t feeling well a few days after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) transferred him to a California facility, his daughter recalled.

Originally from San Pedro Sula, Honduras, he is one of six people who died in ICE custody in the first two weeks of 2026. Last year, 32 people died in ICE custody, the most in a single year since the agency was created.

The family of Parady La, who died on Jan. 9 while in ICE custody, has raised questions about the medical care he received. Now Yanez-Cruz’s family has similar concerns, according to his daughter, Josselyn Yanez.

“I had hope that my dad would get out of that place but not in this way,” Yanez-Cruz’s daughter said in Spanish.

ICE did not respond to a request for comment from Capital & Main. Management and Training Corporation, the private prison company that runs Imperial Regional Detention Facility, directed Capital & Main to a press release from ICE.

“Our professionally trained medical staff — including licensed doctors and nurses — provide timely, compassionate care to all individuals in our custody. We take every medical concern seriously and ensure that appropriate care and oversight are provided at all times,” wrote Emily Lawhead, spokesperson for the company.

In that press release about Yanez-Cruz’s death, ICE said: “All people in ICE custody receive medical, dental and mental health intake screenings within 12 hours of arriving at each detention facility; a full health assessment within 14 days of entering ICE custody or arrival at a facility; access to medical appointments; and 24-hour emergency care. At no time during detention is a detained illegal alien........

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