Convicted alien felon passes away at Indiana hospital

MIAMI COUNTY, Indiana - Lorth Sim, a 59-year-old convicted felon from Cambodia, died in ICE custody Feb. 16 at Miami Correctional Facility in Miami County. Staff found him unresponsive in his cell, and he was pronounced dead at 7:10 a.m. despite lifesaving efforts by facility staff and EMS. His cause of death is under investigation.

Sim was arrested for disorderly conduct in 1989, indecent exposure in 1996, and larceny in 2005, receiving a suspended sentence and probation but no prison time. In 2006, ICE arrested him, and an immigration judge ordered his removal to Cambodia. On Dec. 30, 2025, ICE officers encountered Sim at the ICE office lobby in Boston and informed him he was under arrest and would be detained in ICE custody pursuant to a warrant of removal. On Jan. 5, 2026, ICE Boston transferred him to ICE Chicago custody. Sim entered the United States as a refugee in 1983 and became a lawful permanent resident in 1986.

ICE notified the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General, ICE's Office of Professional Responsibility and the Cambodian consulate about Sim's death, as required by agency policy.

ICE makes official notifications to Congress, nongovernmental organization stakeholders and the media upon official reports of in-custody alien deaths and posts news releases with relevant details on ICE's public website. You may access this information in ICE.gov's Newsroom. Congressional requirements described in the DHS Appropriations Act of 2018 require ICE to publicize all reports regarding in-custody deaths within 90 days. You may access these reports on ICE.gov's Detainee Death Reporting page.

ICE is committed to ensuring that all those in custody reside in safe, secure and humane environments. Comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment individuals arrive and throughout the entirety of their stay. All people in ICE custody receive medical, dental and mental health intake screenings 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; access to medical appointments; and 24-hour emergency care. At no time during detention is a detained alien denied emergency care.