An Indian national who was detained by the Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) last week at the Atlanta airport has died in custody at an Atlanta hospital.

AFP/ Representational Image

Atul Kumar Babubhai Patel was detained at the airport by ICE officials for not possessing necessary immigration documents while entering US.

According to an ICE statement, Patel had entered US through Ecuador and was initially detained by US Customs and Border Protection and was shifted to the Atlanta City Detention Center where he received an initial medical screening and was identified to have high blood pressure and diabetes.

Reuters/ Representational Image

On Saturday, two days after being in the ICE custody, a nurse checking Patel's blood sugar noticed he had a breathing problem following which he was shifted to a hospital where he passed away.

Patel is the eighth such individual who died in the custody of ICE the fiscal year 2017.