Reps. Chu and Lieu Demand Answers for Jose Guadalupe Ramos-Solano’s Death in ICE custody

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) and Rep. Ted Lieu (CA-36) sent a letter to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leadership demanding answers regarding the death of Jose Guadalupe Ramos-Solano, a 52-year old man who died in ICE custody on March 25, 2026.

Mr. Ramos-Solano was arrested by ICE on February 23, 2026 and detained at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in Adelanto, California. ICE reports that Mr. Ramos-Solanos was found "unconscious and unresponsive in his bunk" and that security staff "immediately" contacted onsite medical staff and emergency services who initiated life-saving procedures. He was then transported to Victor Valley Global Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

However, other detainees recount conflicting history, saying that they attempted to notify staff about Mr. Ramos Solanos' deteriorating condition, but despite these calls for help he was not attended to until he was unconscious. Detainees also allege that he passed away at Adelanto Center, not at the Victor Valley Global Medical Center.

While ICE's investigation into Mr. Ramos-Solano's death is ongoing, the conditions faced by immigrants in Adelanto have a well-documented record of lacking sufficient medical care and are of critical concern. Reps. Chu and Lieu seek answers to understand whether systemic failures led to Mr. Ramos-Solanos' death and the growing number of other deaths that have occurred under ICE custody.

"The trend of medical negligence and poor living conditions in Adelanto is deeply concerning. We need answers for the death of Mr. Ramos-Solano, and the others who have suffered and died in ICE custody," said Rep. Chu. "Mr. Ramos-Solano should still be alive today. It is unacceptable to hear from other detainees that Mr. Ramos-Solano did not receive basic medical care. We cannot let this be overlooked, and that is why we are calling for full transparency and accountability to ensure tragedies like this never happen again."

"The circumstances surrounding Jose Guadalupe Ramos-Solano's death are unacceptable. Deaths in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody have risen under Trump. We continue to see preventable deaths driven by inadequate medical care and a lack of meaningful oversight in detention facilities. That is a systemic failure," said Rep. Lieu. "The Department of Homeland Security has a duty to ensure the safety and basic dignity of every person in its custody. We demand accountability because lives depend on it."

The letter is signed by 31 Members: Reps. Pete Aguilar (CA-33), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Greg Casar (TX-35), Gilbert Cisneros (CA-31), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Jesús García (IL-04), Daniel Goldman (NY-10), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Henry Johnson (GA-04), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Dave Min (CA-47), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Adam Smith (WA-09), Darren Soto (FL-09), Mark Takano (CA-39), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Norma Torres (CA-35), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Maxine Waters (CA-43)

The full text of the letter is can be found here.

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April 30, 2026

Todd M. Lyons
Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
500 12^th Street SW
Washington, DC 20024

The Honorable Markwayne Mullin
Secretary
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
2707 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE
Washington, DC 20528

Dear Secretary Mullin and Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director Lyons,

We write to express our grave concerns regarding the death of Jose Guadalupe Ramos-Solano, a 52-year-old man who died while in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody on March 25, 2026.

On February 23, 2026, ICE arrested Mr. Ramos-Solano and then detained him at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center (Adelanto) in Adelanto, California. According to ICE, on March 25, 2026, security staff found Mr. Ramos-Solano "unconscious and unresponsive in his bunk." Security staff "immediately" called onsite medical staff and emergency services, which both initiated life-saving procedures. Emergency services then transported him to Victor Valley Global Medical Center in Victorville, California, where he was pronounced deceased."[1]

On the day of his death, other detainees reported that Mr. Ramos-Solano had been experiencing symptoms of overheating, and difficulty breathing. They stated that Mr. Ramos-Solano removed his shirt after feeling as though he was suffocating.[2] Detainees attempted to notify medical staff of Mr. Ramos-Solano's deteriorating condition but staff did not respond until he was unconscious. Detainees additionally allege that he did not die at the Victor Valley Global Medical Center but that he had already passed away at Adelanto .

We recognize that an investigation into Mr. Ramos-Solano's death is ongoing, and we expect ICE to comply fully with all statutory reporting requirements, including the publication of a Detainee Death Report within 90 days.[3] However, eyewitness accounts raise serious and urgent questions about the circumstances leading to his death.

Mr. Ramos-Solano's death is part of a broader pattern. Adelanto has a well-documented record of insufficient oversight and inadequate medical care. These failures have previously resulted in deaths that ICE itself has previously acknowledged were preventable. Federal and state regulators, nonprofit organizations, and media reports have repeatedly described the facility's ongoing inability to meet even minimal standards of care. [4] Since President Trump began his second term in January 2025, at least four individuals have died while in custody at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, and another individual died just days after being transferred out of the facility.[5] Nationwide, at least 45 individuals have died in federal immigration custody during this period, a significant increase from previous years, including during President Trump's first term.[6]

The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for upholding constitutionally mandated standards of care that exist to protect the wellbeing of individuals in federal immigration custody. We demand that you take immediate, concrete steps to identify whether systemic failures led to Mr. Ramos-Solano's death and the growing number of deaths occurring under your leadership.

We request answers to the following questions involving Mr. Ramos-Solano's death by May 8, 2026.

1. What was Mr. Ramos-Solano's official cause of death?
2. On what date and time did facility security and medical staff first receive reports that Mr. Ramos-Solano was feeling ill or required medical attention? Were these reports made by Mr. Ramos-Solano or a third party? How many reports did the facility receive? What medical evaluations, tests, or treatments, if any, were conducted following these reports?
3. When did other detainees request medical help or assistance for Mr. Ramos-Solano? How many detainees raised concerns on behalf of Mr. Ramos-Solano?
4. What was Mr. Ramos-Solano's condition prior to his transfer to Victor Valley Global Medical Center?
5. When was the family of Mr. Ramos-Solano contacted about his condition?
6. What prompted his transfer to the detention medical center, and which medical staff were involved in assessing him there?
7. What criteria did staff use to determine that his condition was potentially life-threatening and required emergency medical transfer?
8. What specific kinds of medical evaluation, monitoring, or treatment was Mr. Ramos-Solano given? What medications were prescribed to him? Please provide all records concerning Mr. Ramos-Solano's detention, medical care, and death from Adelanto and Victor Valley Global Medical Center.
9. Please provide a status update on the Detainee Death Report involving Mr. Ramos-Solano's death, including the expected timeline for publication of findings.
10. Did ICE Health Services CORPS (IHSC) complete a Preliminary Mortality Review within 14 days of Mr. Ramos-Solano's death, as required by ICE Directive 11003.6 Notification, Review, and Reporting Requirements for Detainee Deaths? Please provide a status update on IHSC's final Mortality Review, including expected timeline for completion.
11. Has ICE Office of Professional Responsibility External Reviews and Analysis Unit initiated a Detainee Death Review into the facts and circumstances surrounding the Mr. Ramos-Solano's death?
12. How many complaints of inadequate medical care have been reported at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center since January 2025? What steps has ICE taken to address detainees' reports of improper medical care?
13. Has ICE identified violations of medical care standards at Adelanto since January 2025? If so, what corrective measures have DHS and ICE implemented to address these violations at Adelanto?
14. How are your agencies addressing the sharp rise in federal immigration custody deaths since January 2025?

We look forward to your timely response to this urgent matter.