Laurel father and husband died in ICE custody in Louisiana

Julián Curo-Churata lived in Laurel for about 17 years before he was detained in June by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

The 47-year-old originally from Peru had volunteered to leave the country on his own, but a judge denied the request Sept. 18, according to ICE.

On Sept. 29, Curo-Churata died in ICE custody.

He is the 37th person to die while in ICE detention in the past year, according to the agency’s count, and is one of thousands of immigrants living in Maryland sent to ICE detention facilities far from their homes. A Banner analysis of ICE records found that people detained in Maryland are transferred greater distances than those detained in other states, due in part to the lack of a long-term detention facility here.

“He didn’t deserve to die ... far away from his family,” Curo-Churata’s friend Marxlin Bernedo told The Banner in Spanish.

Curo-Churata was arrested by ICE agents during a “targeted” operation on June 27, according to the agency. He was transferred two days later to the Richwood Correctional Center in Monroe, Louisiana.

In a press release announcing Curo-Churata’s death, ICE cited “convictions for driving with expired vehicle registration” and an unspecified judgment against him in favor of the Maryland comptroller.

The agency said Curo-Churata was found in “medical distress” Sept. 28 and was transported to Ochsner LSU Health Monroe Medical Center. He was pronounced dead the next morning. ICE said Curo-Churata’s cause of death was unknown, pending an autopsy.

Bernedo, of Silver Spring, has been friends with Curo-Churata for more than a decade. They met at a park in Silver Spring where local Peruvians gather on Sundays to socialize, play soccer and share traditional Peruvian plates. Bernedo described Curo-Churata as a “hardworking” and “honorable” man who was dedicated to his family. She said Curo-Churata was a handyman who built decks and enjoyed playing soccer and volleyball.

Bernedo said Curo-Churata has a college-aged son, a daughter and a wife, Verónica Ramírez.

Ramírez declined The Banner’s request for an interview on the advice of her attorney, Max Schoening.

But in an interview with Telemundo 44 in Spanish, she said she last spoke with her husband two days before his death.

Ramírez told the news outlet that on the day her husband died, she called the detention center in Louisiana looking to talk to him and was told someone would call her back.

Twenty minutes later, a funeral home called her “to tell me that my husband died at 4:30 a.m. and that they had him,” Ramírez said through tears.

Ramírez said she wants answers that she knows she might not get for months — at least until an autopsy is completed.

“In the meantime, who is going to tell me what really happened?” she asked.

Bernedo said she was also shocked to hear of Curo-Churata’s death, and she questioned his treatment while in ICE custody.

ICE did not answer The Banner’s questions about Curo-Churata’s medical care. Instead, a spokesperson sent the agency’s press release announcing his death.

“While in custody, Curo received proper medical care and was seen by medical professionals,” the release said.

Human rights organizations have documented a sharp rise in detainee deaths across federal immigration facilities.

A June 2026 report by Human Rights Watch found that the annual mortality rate in ICE custody surged by approximately 140% between January 2025 and January 2026, reaching its highest level in nearly two decades. The report noted that while the overall detention population grew substantially during that period, the rate of deaths increased far faster, pointing to widespread issues with medical oversight, delayed emergency care and facility staffing.

A vigil for Curo-Churata is scheduled for Friday in Laurel.

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