Medical facilities at ICE detention centers are once again under scrutiny after Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz, a Honduran man, died in custody in Calexico, California.
The 68-year-old was suffering from heart issues and was being treated at John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, where he breathed his last on January 6, 2026.
What makes his death even more heartbreaking is that his family did not get to be with him in his final moments. The incident has raised concerns about medical attention at ICE centers, as Yanez-Cruz’s family has claimed that he was perfectly fine before being arrested.
Luis Beltrán Yanez Cruz, 68, died in ICE custody on Tuesday after being held at the Imperial Regional Detention Facility in Calexico, California.
Originally from Honduras, he appears to have lived in the United States for decades.
Luis Beltrán was the third person to die in ICE… pic.twitter.com/AE2qjy20NM
— david 🌻 (@realdavidonline) January 10, 2026
According to the deceased’s daughter, Josselyn Yanez, her father started suffering from stomach and chest pain shortly after being detained at the Imperial Regional Detention Facility in Calexico.
While he complained of shortness of breath, the officials at the center shrugged him off and only gave him painkillers. After his condition began to worsen, he was initially treated at the center’s medical unit and later admitted to El Centro Regional Medical Center.
When there was no improvement in his health, the man was moved to John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Indio in a helicopter. However, the doctors could not save him, and his family was informed about his death on January 6.
Yanez claims that her father did not receive the required medical attention at the detention center initially, which led to his death. She has even asked for an investigation into the case.
Yanez said in a statement to the The Los Angeles Times, “There needs to be an investigation because this is not normal. He started having symptoms weeks ago; they could have done something.”
She had her last phone conversation with her father on January 3. Three days later, her world was shattered upon learning that he was no more.
Remembering her dad, Yanez said, “He was an extraordinary father. He was always looking out for us, even as we got older and became adults. He looked out for his grandchildren… He always worried about them and called to ask how they were doing.”
Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz initially entered the US illegally in June 1993, but was arrested and deported. According to his daughter, he entered the country once again in 1999 and received temporary protected status.
For 26 years, he lived in the US, raised a family, and worked as a construction worker. However, he could not renew his TPS documents and was arrested during an ICE crackdown at a labor site in Newark in November 2025.
🚨 | MAN DIED IN ICE CUSTODY
Rest easy, Luis Beltrán Yáñez-Cruz
Mr. Beltrán died at the Imperial Regional Detention Centre in Calexico, California. Luis had a life here in the United States. He arrived in 1993 and had TPS protection status, but lost it three weeks ago.
RIP 🕊️ pic.twitter.com/uDj6Gdl9M0
— Disidento (@Disidento_) January 11, 2026
His removal process was pending at the time of his death. Yanez-Cruz is one of the four people who have been reported to have died in ICE custody this year.
On the other hand, the Department of Homeland Security has reiterated that it maintains high medical and hygiene standards at detention centers, and that people there are provided better facilities than those in typical prisons.
A spokesperson for the department said in a statement, “All detainees are provided with 3 meals a day, clean water, clothing, bedding, showers, and toiletries, and have access to phones to communicate with their family members and lawyers.”
