ICE Custody Deaths Hit Highest Rate in a Decade

ICE – (Web Desk) – ICE custody deaths have reached their highest level in over a decade, a new report by Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights revealed on Thursday.

At least 52 people have died in immigration detention facilities since President Donald Trump began his second term in January 2025. Rights groups say this number reflects a serious crisis inside US detention centers.

The annual death rate in ICE custody jumped 140% between January 2025 and January 2026. This rise is far greater than what can be explained by the growing number of detainees alone.

The death rate is now nearly four times higher than it was under former President Joe Biden. It is also more than twice as high as during Trump’s first term from 2017 to 2021.

Researchers found that medical care inside detention centers has not kept pace with the rapidly growing detainee population. Overcrowding and longer detention periods are making the situation worse.

One case involved a 44-year-old man from Ukraine who suffered a stroke in detention. He showed clear signs of a medical emergency but did not receive proper care in time.

Another case was a 39-year-old Mexican man who died from cardiac arrest. Doctors believe it was caused by septic shock after staff failed to properly treat an infected abscess.

Seven people died by apparent suicide in ICE custody between January 2025 and January 2026. That compares to just one suicide-related death in all of 2024.

The US Department of Homeland Security rejected the findings. A spokesperson said the death rate remains consistent with the past decade and that detainees receive high-quality medical care.

Rights groups strongly disagreed. They say the US government is failing in its basic duty to protect the lives of people held in immigration detention.