More than 30 people have died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention since October, marking a surge in fatalities that has alarmed experts and prompted calls for accountability from rights groups and families. The death rate in ICE custody reached a 22-year high in the initial months of the current fiscal year, according to a report published in the medical journal JAMA.
Between the start of October and Jan. 19, 18 immigration detainees died. Since that date, at least 17 additional individuals have died while in ICE custody. For comparison, only three individuals died in ICE detention during the entire 2022 fiscal year.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, stated that there has been no increase in deaths. The spokesperson asserted that as of May 29, death rates in custody under the Trump administration were 0.009% of the detained population, consistent with data from the past decade. The DHS maintained that the agency provides a higher standard of care, including medical access, than many facilities holding U.S. citizens, and that for many undocumented immigrants, it represents the best healthcare they have received.
Families and advocates are seeking answers and accountability regarding the rising number of deaths within the detention system. The expansion of ICE detention facilities coincides with this increase in fatalities, raising concerns about the conditions and care provided to detainees.