ACLU of Indiana raises alarms about medical care, oversight and treatment of people held in ICE custody at Miami Correctional Facility

The ACLU of Indiana is calling for urgent transparency and accountability after two people died in federal immigration custody at Miami Correctional Facility in less than two months.

Lorth Sim, a 59-year-old lawful permanent resident from Cambodia, was found unresponsive in his cell at the facility and pronounced dead on February 18. The Miami County coroner ruled his cause of death to be atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with additional significant conditions of diabetes mellitus. On April 1, Tuan Van Bui, a 55-year-old man from Vietnam who had lived in the United States for over 25 years, also died at the facility. According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), staff found Mr. Bui unresponsive, and his cause of death remains under investigation.

While official statements may point to the immediate circumstances of death in Mr. Sim’s case, they do not answer the critical questions about whether people detained at Miami Correctional Facility are receiving adequate medical monitoring, timely access to care and appropriate treatment for serious and chronic health conditions while in custody. Two deaths in less than two months raise serious concerns about conditions inside the facility, the adequacy of oversight and whether the safety and rights of those held there are being protected. At least 15 people are now known to have died in ICE custody in 2026.