Ukrainian man dies in ICE custody after medical crisis, delayed emergency care
Feb 20, 2025 · Miami, FL, Ukraine

Maksym Chernyak, a 44-year-old Ukrainian man who entered the U.S. legally under a humanitarian parole program in August 2024, was arrested in January 2025 following an assault charge and placed in ICE custody at Krome detention center in Miami. In the days before his death, Chernyak reported fever, chest pain, irregular heartbeat, and blood in his stool, but was not seen by a doctor for several days and his elevated blood pressure went untreated. On February 18, 2025, while in an overcrowded hold room with approximately 30 other people, he experienced a severe medical crisis—suffering multiple seizures, vomiting blood, and becoming unresponsive. When cellmates screamed for help, staff took 15 to 20 minutes to respond and initially accused him of drug use; toxicology reports later confirmed he had not been intoxicated. He was transported to a hospital where he was declared brain dead and died two days later. His wife said he had been in good health before detention and was pressured to sign documents without a translator.
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