Guatemalan immigrant dies in Otay Mesa ICE detention center

Roberto Jimenez Gutiérrez, a 43-year-old immigrant from Guatemala, died while in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody at the CoreCivic Otay Mesa Detention Center near the U.S.-Mexico border.

Jimenez was found unresponsive in his cell around 11:30 a.m. on a Saturday. CoreCivic, the private company that operates the facility, stated that medical staff and emergency services attempted lifesaving measures, but he was pronounced dead before being transported. ICE reported that paramedics officially pronounced him deceased around 12:35 p.m. Jimenez had been arrested in Escondido on October 9 and had a prior deportation order.

The death has drawn criticism from civil rights advocates and local officials. The American Friends Service Committee described such fatalities as preventable, citing concerns over health oversight in detention. Additionally, local supervisors have called on the Trump administration to stop obstructing county health inspections at the facility.

Data from the ACLU and Human Rights Watch indicate a significant increase in mortality rates for ICE detainees during the current administration compared to previous years.