Lawful resident Pete Montejo, 72, hospitalized multiple times for septic shock before dying in ICE custody
Pete Sumalo Montejo, a 72-year-old citizen of the Philippines and lawful permanent resident, died on December 5, 2025, at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen, Texas, while in ICE custody. He had been hospitalized multiple times between May and November 2025 for serious illnesses including septic shock from pneumonia and anemia, but was returned to ICE detention after each stay. ICE attributed the death to suspected natural causes and, in its public release, foregrounded his criminal history.