A 37-year-old man from Cameroon died while in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody following a brain hemorrhage, the agency disclosed Wednesday.
Nebane Abienwi had applied for admission into the U.S. on Sept. 5 at the San Ysidro Port of Entry and was being held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center, according to ICE.
Abienwi experienced what ICE called a “hypertensive event” in the middle of the night on Sept. 26 and was rushed to Sharp's Chula Vista Medical Center. He remained until his death on Tuesday, ICE said.
The agency said it will be investigating the circumstances surrounding the death.
Eight inmates died in ICE custody nationwide in the 2018-19 fiscal year. This is the first ICE in-custody death of the new fiscal year, which started Oct. 1.
