Construction worker Alberto Gutiérrez dies in ICE custody after two months of untreated illness
Feb 27, 2026·Location: Los Angeles, CA
Country of origin: Mexico

Alberto Gutiérrez Reyes, 48, a construction worker from Veracruz who had lived in the United States for nearly 25 years, was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol on January 9, 2026, in Los Angeles for lacking authorization to reside in the country. He was transferred to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center on January 12, where he had pre-existing diabetes and high cholesterol. Throughout February, he experienced persistent fever, headache, sore throat, dizziness, body aches, high blood pressure, and elevated glucose levels. Despite repeatedly requesting medical attention and filling out medical request forms, he was denied proper care. His wife Patricia Martínez reported seeing yellowing of his skin, face, and eyes during visits. On February 25, he reported feeling faint and weak and was transferred to Victor Valley Global Medical Center with chest pain and shortness of breath. He became unresponsive and died on February 27 of cardiac arrest. His wife and 19-year-old son Erick, born in Los Angeles and the family's sole financial provider along with his father, were not immediately informed of his death. Mexico's Office of Foreign Affairs demanded an investigation into the conditions that led to his death. According to local officials, Gutiérrez Reyes was the ninth detainee to die in ICE custody since the beginning of 2026.
Timeline
Sources
- These are the 17 Mexicans whose ICE-related deaths prompted Mexico to demand accountability
CNN·Jul 14, 2026·archived copy
- Day laborers, construction workers, waiters and laundry workers: The six Mexican lives that ended in the hands of ICE
english.elpais.com·Jul 9, 2026·archived copy
- ice.gov
Mar 4, 2026·archived copy
- ICE Denies Wrongdoing In Death Of Man In California Immigration Facility
HuffPost·Mar 5, 2026·archived copy
- ICE says a 48-year-old Mexican national has died in agency custody in California
scrippsnews.com·Mar 4, 2026·archived copy
- The Human Cost of Mass Detention: ICE Reports 9th Custodial Death of 2026, 38th of Trump II Administration
austinkocher.substack.com·Mar 4, 2026·archived copy
- Familia de migrante mexicano muerto bajo custodia del ICE exige respuestas; aseguran que "lo trataron peor que a un animal"
eluniversal.com.mx·Mar 12, 2026·archived copy
- La Jornada: Solicita apoyo familia del mexicano fallecido bajo la custodia del ICE
jornada.com.mx·Mar 4, 2026·archived copy
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- CourtListener
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