PERU · IMMIGRATION

A Peruvian father of two died after a medical emergency in a Louisiana immigration jail, and no cause has been given.

A Peruvian man held by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) died in Louisiana on Tuesday, 29 September. More than a week later, the cause of his death is still unknown.

On Tuesday, 6 October, his wife said publicly that she wants to know what really happened. His case adds to a toll of deaths in ICE custody that Peruvian media have tracked closely.

What ICE Has Said

ICE, the US agency that arrests and detains immigration violators, announced the death in a news release on Wednesday, 30 September. It said the 47-year-old died at Ochsner LSU Health Monroe Medical Center and that the preliminary cause was unknown.

Peruvian outlets spell his name Julián Curo Churata, while US reports based on the release hyphenate it as Curo-Churata. The release, as reported by Univision and El Comercio, sets out the following timeline.

• Saturday, 27 June: ICE’s Baltimore enforcement office arrested him.
• Monday, 29 June: he was moved into the custody of ICE’s New Orleans office and later held at the Richwood Correctional Center near Monroe, Louisiana.
• Friday, 18 September: an immigration judge denied his requests for relief from removal and for voluntary departure; he kept the right to appeal.
• Monday, 28 September: he suffered a medical emergency at Richwood and was taken to hospital at about 8:14 p.m.
• Tuesday, 29 September: he was pronounced dead at 4:01 a.m.

ICE said he had entered the United States without inspection, at an unknown date and place, according to Univision. The agency said it notified his wife, his lawyer and the Consulate General of Peru.

It also informed the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security, an internal watchdog. ICE’s own Office of Professional Responsibility, which reviews whether staff followed agency rules, was notified as well.

Monroe, Louisiana, where Julián Curo died in hospital on 29 September after falling ill in ICE detention, in 2021. Photo: TheLionHasSeen / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

A Family in Maryland

His wife told Telemundo, a US Spanish-language network, that he had lived in Laurel, Maryland, for 17 years. She said he held valid work authorisation.

Laurel lies between Baltimore and Washington, about 970 miles from the Louisiana jail where he was held.

She said she last spoke with him on Sunday, 27 September, two days before he died, El Comercio reported. She said an ICE officer later called to tell her that her husband had died.

“Meanwhile, who tells me what really happened?” she asked, according to El Comercio. La República, a Lima daily, reported that the couple have two children, aged 13 and 7.

A fundraising campaign for the family has started, Ojo Público reported. Ojo Público is a Lima-based investigative news site.

How Many Have Died in ICE Custody

Ojo Público counts 37 deaths in ICE custody this year. Univision and El Comercio put the same figure on fiscal year 2026, which ran from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026.

Tallies differ slightly. Conexión Migrante, a Spanish-language site covering migrants in the United States, counts 38 fiscal-year deaths and 27 since 1 January.

The larger gap reflects the US government’s fiscal year, which starts in October. El Comercio reported that Louisiana alone has recorded at least three deaths in ICE custody in 2026.

ICE says it posts a news release within two business days of a death in its custody. Under the 2018 homeland security spending law, it must make public all reports on such deaths within 90 days.

Silence From Lima

Peru’s Foreign Ministry had not said whether it asked US authorities for information or an explanation, Ojo Público reported on Tuesday. The US Embassy in Lima did not answer the outlet’s questions either.

No public statement on the case from the ministry or a Peruvian consulate could be found by Wednesday morning, Lima time.

What It Means for You

For US readers, the case is part of a wider debate over conditions in immigration detention. Under the 90-day rule, ICE’s full report on this death is due by about Monday, 28 December.

Families of detainees should know that ICE says it notifies next of kin and the person’s consulate after a death. Peruvians in the United States can seek help from their country’s consular network.

The case also shows how far detainees can be moved from home. A man arrested in Maryland died in a jail in northern Louisiana, far from his family and lawyer.

What Is Not Known

The cause of death is not known, and ICE has not described the medical emergency. El Comercio reported that autopsy results are expected within about three months.

It is not known whether he had health problems before his arrest or what care he received at Richwood. ICE’s own running list of deaths could not be checked for this article, so the 37 figure rests on media counts.

What Comes Next

The next steps are the autopsy and ICE’s detailed death report, both expected by the end of the year. The homeland security watchdog may also examine the case.

The death does not by itself show wrongdoing by ICE or the jail, and no official has made any such finding. It does mean his family and Peru’s government are waiting for answers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Julián Curo Churata?

He was a 47-year-old Peruvian man who had lived in Laurel, Maryland, for about 17 years, according to his wife. He was arrested by ICE on 27 June and died in its custody on 29 September.

Where did he die?

He fell ill at the Richwood Correctional Center near Monroe, Louisiana, and died at Ochsner LSU Health Monroe Medical Center. ICE said the preliminary cause of death was unknown.

How many people have died in ICE custody in 2026?

Univision and El Comercio count 37 deaths in fiscal year 2026, which ended on 30 September. Conexión Migrante counts 38 for the fiscal year and 27 since 1 January.

What has Peru’s government said?

Peru’s Foreign Ministry has not said publicly whether it asked US authorities for an explanation. ICE says it notified the Consulate General of Peru.

When will the cause of death be known?

Autopsy results are expected within about three months, El Comercio reported. ICE must publish its full death report within 90 days.

Sources: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, news release of 30 September 2026; ICE, Detainee Death Reporting; Ojo Público; El Comercio; El Comercio (wife’s interview); La República; Univision; Conexión Migrante (all accessed 7 October 2026).