Cuban Immigrant Dies in ICE Custody After Decades in US

Case of Isidro Perez

• 👴 Isidro Perez, a 75-year-old Cuban immigrant who arrived in the U.S. on parole in 1966, died in ICE custody on June 26 after three weeks of detention.
• 👨‍🔧 He reportedly worked as a mechanic and fisherman after arriving at age 16, having fled Fidel Castro's regime.
• ⚖️ Perez was arrested by ICE in June and charged with inadmissibility, reportedly due to two convictions for possession of a controlled substance in the early 1980s.

Conditions at Krome Detention Center

• 🏥 According to a medical intake, Perez had been diagnosed with multiple health problems and complained of severe overcrowding and lack of beds at Krome Detention Center.
• 🛌 His former partner stated he had to sleep on the floor due to overcrowding.
• 🚑 About two weeks into his detention, Perez was hospitalized for unstable angina (cardiac issues) and later died after suffering a medical emergency.

ICE and Family Perspectives

• 🔒 ICE stated that it is committed to providing safe, secure, and humane environments with comprehensive medical care for all detainees.
• 🤷 Former acting ICE director John Sandweg suggested Perez was likely not bond-eligible due to his parole status and questioned the heavy reliance on detention, especially given its cost and the effectiveness of alternatives like ankle bracelets.
• 💔 Perez's family is grieving and has questions about why he was detained, his medical treatment, and whether he received his medication before his death.

Krome Facility Concerns

• ⚠️ Reports from detainees and lawyers describe severe overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, and detainees sleeping on the floor at Krome.
• 🚌 One account details women being left overnight on a bus, forced to urinate in their seats while in shackles, due to extreme crowding.
• 🏥 Three of the ten migrant deaths in 2025 so far have occurred in Florida, with three of those five detainees having been held at Krome prior to their deaths.

Broader Immigration Detention Issues

• ⛓️ Sandweg highlighted that immigration detention is expensive and often unnecessary, with ankle bracelets proving to be an effective deterrent.
• 🏥 He also noted the difficulty in operating a detention system that is entirely safe, especially with overcrowding exacerbating medical treatment challenges.
• ❓ Families of detainees across the country often face difficulties contacting their relatives and have questions about their well-being and treatment.