(MIAMI COUNTY) - The death of an immigration detainee at the Miami Correctional Facility earlier this year has been ruled natural, according to the county coroner.
As first reported by the Indiana Capital Chronicle, Miami County Coroner John Boyer determined that Lorth Sim died from atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with diabetes mellitus listed as another significant condition.
Sim was found unresponsive in his cell on Feb. 16, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Despite life-saving efforts by prison staff and emergency responders, he was pronounced dead at 7:10 a.m.
A forensic pathologist conducted an autopsy the following day. The condition listed as the cause of death involves plaque buildup in the arteries, which can restrict blood flow to the heart.
ICE has not provided additional details about the investigation into Sim's death.
The Miami Correctional Facility began housing ICE detainees in October under a two-year agreement with the federal government that allows up to 1,000 detainees to be held at the prison.
Sim entered the United States as a refugee in 1983 and became a lawful permanent resident in 1986. Immigration authorities later ordered him removed to Cambodia.
According to immigration analysts cited by the Indiana Capital Chronicle, Sim was the seventh immigrant to die in ICE custody in 2026 at the time of his death.