Daughter of man who died in ICE custody at local hospital speaks out

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) - The family of a 68-year-old undocumented migrant who died at a local hospital while under ICE custody is speaking out to News Channel 3.

Luis Beltrán Yanez-Cruz, an undocumented man from Honduras, died on Jan. 6 after being admitted to JFK Memorial for heart-related health issues, Immigration and Customs Enforcement says.

According to ICE, Yanez-Cruz was taken into custody on November 16 during an operation in Newark, New Jersey. He was being held pending removal proceedings.

While in custody, he was transferred to the medical unit for chest pain at the Imperial Regional Detention Facility and then transported to El Regional Medical Center on January 4. Yanez was then medically evacuated by helicopter to JFK Memorial for a higher level of care, where he was pronounced dead despite medical intervention.

Now, his family is raising questions about the quality and timeliness of Yanez-Cruz's care.

His daughter, Josselyn Yanez, says he never experienced heart-related health issues and symptoms only began shortly after his detainment, he told her in several phone calls before his death.

She alleges a week after Yanez was transferred to a detention center in Calexico, he began feeling stomach pains, to which federal officials gave him unknown pills for.

She says his condition continued to worsen into December, with shortness of breath and exhaustion.

Not until January 4th, just days before Yanez's death, does a statement from ICE say Yanez was admitted to El Centro Regional Medical Center. When his condition worsened, he was then transferred to JKF Memorial Hospital where he died the morning of January 6th.

Yanez says she was in shock to hear of her father's death.

"they told me my father had died and well, I didn’t know what to say at that point. I said how? I just spoke with him on Saturday. My soul was destroyed, because I really hoped that my father would leave that place, but not in this way," she said.

Now, she's raising questions if more urgent care could have saved her father.

"I would like to ask them why? He didn't have heart problems before, and so why, when he asked for medical assistance, they didn't give it to him. He had been complaining for weeks about chest pain, stomach pain and shortness of breath," she said.

In a press release, ICE claimed detainees receive comprehensive care at facilities.

"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 denied emergency care," they said in a press release announcing Yanez's death.

Yanez is one of four detainees to die in ICE custody in 2026 so far, with 32 in-custody deaths recorded in 2025.

"I feel devastated because my father didn’t deserve to die. Please remember that they are human beings, that they also have a family," she said.

A GoFundMe page has been set up by loved ones. Click here if you would like to donate.