At a Glance
- Parady La, 46, died Jan. 9 after two days in ICE custody at a Philadelphia detention center.
- Family searched for hours before learning he had been detained; officers reported finding him unresponsive in his cell.
- La came to the U.S. as a two-year-old refugee in 1981 and lost legal status after convictions between 1994 and 2022.
- Why it matters: Relatives and friends say the system dehumanized an American-raised man and want answers about his medical care.
A 46-year-old man picked up by immigration agents during a routine grocery run has died from what officials labeled drug withdrawal, leaving loved ones demanding to know how he slipped from supermarket aisles to a hospital deathbed in under 72 hours.
Parady La left his Upper Darby home the morning of Jan. 6 to buy groceries, relatives told News Of Philadelphia. Surveillance cameras at the store captured him paying for items; no one realized it would be the last time family saw him conscious.
“We had no idea where he was”
When La failed to return, relatives called friends, checked hospitals, and filed a missing-person report. Hours passed before ICE notified them that agents had detained him at the Philadelphia Immigration and Customs Enforcement Processing Center on South 16th Street.
“We searched everywhere,” nephew Michael La said by phone from Florida. “Nobody told us anything until late that night.”
Officers found him unresponsive
According to the incident log released to News Of Philadelphia, detention officers conducting routine checks found La unresponsive in his cell at approximately 11:15 p.m. on Jan. 7. Staff initiated CPR and administered several doses of Narcan, the opioid-overdose reversal drug, before requesting outside medical help.
Paramedics arrived, continued advanced life support, and transported him to a nearby hospital, where doctors placed him on life support in critical condition. He never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead at 3:22 a.m. on Jan. 9.
“He’s an American man”
ICE records show La entered the United States in 1981 as a Cambodian refugee toddler and became a lawful permanent resident the following year. He grew up attending Philadelphia-area public schools and spoke English as his primary language.
“He came here at two years old,” Michael La emphasized. “It’s a Cambodian man when in reality, no, he’s an American man. He’s never been to Cambodia. Never stepped foot in Cambodia.”
The agency says La lost his immigration status after multiple criminal convictions spanning 1994 to 2022, though officials did not specify the offenses. Under federal law, certain convictions make green-card holders deportable.
Friends remember a quiet fashion lover
Darienne Dorazio, who met La in the late 1990s, described him as the best-dressed member of their social circle. “Parady was just a really sweet guy. He would take me shopping. He loved fashion,” she told News Of Philadelphia. “In the group of us, he was the quiet reserved one.”
Dorazio, who grew up among immigrant families in Upper Darby, said she feared ICE activity would eventually touch her neighborhood. “I knew that this was going to come here. And I never, ever suspected that it would be this horrific,” she said, voice cracking.
Family disputes agency narrative
Relatives reject any implication that La’s death was inevitable because of drug use. They point to gaps in the timeline:
- La had no known medical issues when he left for groceries.
- Family members say they were denied information about his condition while he was hospitalized.
- They learned of his death from a hospital social worker, not ICE.
“No matter what side you’re on, you can clearly see that they’re trying to dehumanize somebody,” Michael La said.
ICE silent on details
News Of Philadelphia requested incident reports, medical logs, and detention standards related to drug-withdrawal protocols. As of publication, ICE had not responded. The agency’s national press office acknowledged receipt of the inquiry but provided no further statement.
Key Takeaways
- A man who spent 38 of his 46 years lawfully in the U.S. died in government custody within 48 hours of detention.
- Family members learned of both the detention and the death through third parties, not through ICE notification.
- Detention staff used Narcan repeatedly, suggesting they suspected an opioid-related emergency, yet relatives say La had no history of opioid use.
- ICE has not explained how a routine grocery trip turned into a fatal medical crisis inside a secure facility.
Relatives plan to consult attorneys about possible litigation and are organizing a community vigil outside the detention center. “My family who lives in Upper Darby are mourning this loss,” Michael La said. “Me? I’m just trying to figure out what’s going on.”
