ICE detainee passes away in Houston-area hospital

HOUSTON — A Honduran man, who was in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), died Sunday at the Memorial Hermann Northeast Hospital (MHNH) in Humble, Texas. An autopsy is pending to determine his cause of death.

Yimi Alexis Balderramos-Torres, 30, entered ICE custody on June 6. On June 18, Balderramos-Torres was transferred to the Houston Contract Detention Facility (HCDF) in Houston,Texas.

On June 30, Balderramos-Torres was found unresponsive in his dormitory. Attempts by medical personnel from ICE Health Service Corps (IHSC) and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to revive Balderramos-Torres were unsuccessful. EMS immediately transferred him to MHNH; MHNH medical staff pronounced him deceased on June 30 at 6:45 a.m. (CDT).

On May 17, 2019, Balderramos-Torres was encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol in El Paso, Texas. He was found to be inadmissible to the U.S. and returned to Mexico under the Migrant Protection Protocols pending disposition of his immigration proceedings.

Ten days later, on May 27, Balderramos-Torres again illegally entered the U.S. He was encountered by local law enforcement during a routine traffic stop; he was transferred to ICE custody June 6. Balderramos-Torres’s previous removal order from 2013 was reinstated; and he remained in ICE custody pending his second removal to Honduras.

Balderramos-Torres previously entered the U.S. illegally and was encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol near Falfurrias, Texas, on Aug. 5, 2013. He was processed as an expedited removal and removed to Honduras on Aug. 14, 2013.

Consistent with the agency’s protocols, the appropriate state health and local law enforcement agencies have been notified about this death, as have the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General, and ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility. Additionally, ICE has notified the Consulate of Honduras in Houston of Balderramos-Torres’ death; Honduran consular officials have notified his next of kin.

Balderramos-Torres is the sixth detainee to pass away in ICE custody in fiscal year 2019, which began Oct. 1, 2018.

ICE’s Health Service Corps (IHSC) ensures the provision of necessary medical care services as required by ICE Performance-Based National Detention Standards and based on the medical needs of the detainee. Comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment detainees arrive and throughout the entirety of their stay. All ICE detainees receive medical, dental and mental health intake screening 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, and access to daily sick call and 24-hour emergency care. Pursuant to our commitment to the welfare of those in the agency’s custody, ICE annually spends more than $269 million on the spectrum of healthcare services provided to detainees.