| Part of a series on the |
| Immigration policy of the second Trump administration |
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This is a chronological list of deaths in United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention. It is based mainly on US federal government records which are in the public domain. The DHS Appropriations Bill (2018) requires ICE to make public all reports regarding in custody deaths within 90 days. Some deaths are also documented in the media.
2025 had the highest number of deaths since 2004, and December 2025 was the deadliest month on record. [1]
Some commentators have expressed concerns about the truthfulness of reporting, or that information is being concealed by taking steps to avoid the necessity of reporting, for example:
... ICE regularly "releases" individuals from ICE custody shortly before death, which allows them to avoid counting those individuals official reports. In October 2021, the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit against ICE for not disclosing these deaths. Similar cases were exposed when advocates heard from other detained individuals about someone who was rushed to a hospital from detention, where they later died. When these deaths were not reported by ICE, journalists and advocates had to investigate.
In New Mexico, a transgender asylum-seeker was given parole documents to sign while in a hospital bed after having sought and been denied medical care at the Otero Processing Center over several weeks. She died four days later, never leaving the hospital. Other cases included in the ACLU lawsuit, include men who were "released" from ICE detention while hospitalized and in a coma.
During the second presidency of Donald Trump, ICE started to release details of detainee deaths in narrative style at their newsroom, within two business days. [3] Instead of the standard titles used in detainee death reports for example "Detainee Death Report: AVELLENEDA-Delgado, Abelardo" [4] these reports use titles such as "Illegal alien in ICE custody passes away at California hospital" or "Career criminal, illegal alien in ICE custody passes away at local hospital", [5] and are in a less detailed and more narrative style using the euphemism "passes away" rather than referring to death. As a technical matter, the federal government is incapable of dealing with diacritics, which are stripped from names appearing in government records. [6]
As of 25 January 2026 [update] , 10 deaths in ICE detention have been disclosed.
| Date | Location | Name | Age | Nationality | ICE disclosure | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-02 | Florence Correctional Center, Florence, Arizona | Emmanuel Clifford Damas | 56 | Died of a tooth infection. Damas's brother said he was not allowed to see a dentist. [7] | ||
| 2026-02-27 | Victor Valley Global Medical Center, Victorville, California | Alberto Gutierrez-Reyes | 48 | 2026-03-04 [8] | Had diabetes and high cholesterol. City councilmember claims he was denied access to medical care. [9] | |
| 2026-02-16 | Larkin Community Hospital, South Miami, Florida | Jairo Garcia-Hernandez | 27 | 2026-02-20 [10] | Died after "collapsed unexpectedly". [11] | |
| 2026-02-16 | Miami Correctional Facility, Bunker Hill, Indiana | Lorth Sim | 59 | 2026-02-18 [12] | Found unresponsive in cell. [13] | |
| 2026-01-14 | Robert A Deyton Detention Facility, Lovejoy, Georgia | Heber Sanchez Domínguez | 34 | 2026-01-16 [14] | Found hanging in his cell. [15] Also reported by Consulate General of Mexico in Atlanta. [16] | |
| 2026-01-14 | Camp East Montana, El Paso, Texas | Victor Manuel Diaz | 36 | 2026-01-18 [17] | Third death reported at the Camp East Montana detention center. [18] ICE reported a "presumed suicide" after he was found unresponsive; his family disputes this. [19] | |
| 2026-01-09 | Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Parady La | 46 | 2026-01-10 [5] | Suffered anoxic brain injury, post cardiac arrest, shock and multiple organ failures, attributed to drug withdrawal. [5] Family members stated that he was "vomiting, begging for help, begging for water, and wasn't given water" at the Federal Detention Center in Center City Philadelphia. [20] | |
| 2026-01-06 | Imperial Regional Detention Facility, Calexico, California / John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, Indio, California | Luis Beltran Yanez–Cruz | 68 | 2026-01-09 [21] | Hospitalized with chest pains. [22] | |
| 2026-01-05 | HCA Healthcare, Conroe, Texas | Luis Gustavo Nunez Caceres | 42 | 2026-01-07 [23] | Congestive heart failure. [23] | |
| 2026-01-03 | Camp East Montana, El Paso, Texas | Geraldo Lunas Campos | 55 | 2026-01-09 [24] | A witness told The Washington Post that guards choked Lunas Campos, who repeatedly said, "No puedo respirar" ["I can't breathe"]. [25] On January 21, 2026, Lunas Campos' death was ruled a homicide by asphyxia upon autopsy by the El Paso County Medical Examiner's office, who noted petechiae in his eyelids and neck. [26] [27] |
In 2025, 31 deaths in ICE detention were reported. This does not include Jaime Alanis Garcia, who died trying to flee agents at a farm raid in Camarillo on July 10, [28] nor does it include Jose Castro-Rivera, who died on a highway in Norfolk, Virginia, on October 23 as he fled ICE officers. [29] It also does not include those who died in Border Patrol custody, including a Chinese national who died by suicide at a station in Yuma, Arizona. [30] A January 2026 letter from 12 Congressional representatives stated that 17 deaths in Border Patrol custody were reported to Congress during the first twelve months of the Trump administration. [31]
| Date | Location | Name | Age | Nationality | ICE disclosure | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-15 | North Lake Processing Center, Baldwin, Michigan | Nenko Stanev Gantchev | 56 | 2025-12-18 [32] | Found unresponsive in his cell after months of complaints regarding his declining health. [1] | |
| 2025-12-14 | Adams County Correctional Center / Merit Health Natchez, Natchez, Mississippi [33] | Delvin Francisco Rodriguez | 39 | 2025-12-18 [33] | Found without a pulse in detention on December 4, transferred to a hospital, and later removed from a ventilator after a finding of no brain function. [34] [1] | |
| 2025-12-14 | Moshannon Valley Processing Center, Decatur Township, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania | Fouad Saeed Abdulkadir | 46 | 2025-12-18 [35] | Died of medical distress following complaints of chest pain. Had recently reported inadequate medical care in a habeas corpus motion. [36] | |
| 2025-12-12 | Delaney Hall Detention Facility, Newark, New Jersey | Jean Wilson Brutus | 41 | 2025-12-18 [37] | Died of suspected natural causes according to ICE officials. [1] | |
| 2025-12-06 | Prairieland Detention Center / A hospital, Fort Worth, Texas | Shiraz Fatehali Sachwani | 48 | 2025-12-10 [38] | Died of heart failure related to chronic respiratory, liver, and kidney issues, according to ICE officials. [1] [38] | |
| 2025-12-05 | Montgomery Processing Center / Valley Baptist Medical Center, Harlingen, Texas | Pete Sumalo Montejo | 72 | 2025-12-08 [39] | Died following months of hospitalization during 2025, including for complications of pneumonia, hypoxia, and shortness of breath. [1] [39] | |
| 2025-12-03 | Camp East Montana / Hospitals of Providence East, El Paso, Texas | Francisco Gaspar-Andres | 48 | 2025-12-05 [40] | Died of suspected liver and kidney failure, according to ICE officials, with underlying causes disputed by his widow. [1] [41] | |
| 2025-10-25 | South Texas ICE Processing Center / Methodist Metropolitan Hospital, San Antonio, Texas | Kai Yin Wong | 63 | 2025-10-28 [42] | Heart failure and possible pneumonia. [1] | |
| 2025-10-23 | Adelanto ICE Processing Center / Victor Valley Global Medical Center, Victorville, California | Gabriel Garcia-Aviles | 56 | 2025-11-03 [43] | Died of cardiac arrest, which ICE attributed to alcohol withdrawal. | |
| 2025-10-11 | Krome Detention Center / Larkin Community Hospital, Miami, Florida | Hasan Ali Moh'D Saleh | 67 | 2025-10-05 [44] | Hospitalized with high fever, became unresponsive, and died of cardiac arrest. [1] | |
| 2025-10-04 | Ste. Genevieve County Jail, Missouri | Leo Cruz-Silva | 34 | 2025-10-08 [45] | Reportedly committed suicide by hanging. [45] [46] | |
| 2025-09-29 | Dallas, Texas | Miguel Angel Garcia-Hernandez | 31 | 2025-10-02 [47] | Also known as Miguel Ángel García Medina; shot by a sniper on September 24. [1] | |
| 2025-09-29 | San Diego, California | Huabing Xie | 53 | 2025-12-03 [48] | Xie died at a hospital near San Diego after experiencing what ICE stated "appeared to be a seizure" at the Imperial Regional Detention Facility in Calexico. | |
| 2025-09-24 | Dallas, Texas | Norlan Guzman-Fuentes | 37 | 2025-09-29 [49] | Shot by a sniper on September 24. | |
| 2025-09-22 | Adelanto ICE Processing Center / Victor Valley Global Medical Center, Victorville, California | Ismael Ayala Uribe | 39 | 2025-09-23 [50] [51] | Hospitalized for an abscess, experienced tachycardia and hypotension before suffering a heart attack. [52] His family has sued for medical neglect and wrongful death. [53] | |
| 2025-09-18 | Nassau County Correctional Center, East Meadow, New York | Santos Reyes-Banegas | 42 | 2025-09-23 [54] | Reyes-Banegas was detained in the Nassau County Correctional Center for less than 18 hours before he passed away, of liver failure. | |
| 2025-09-08 | Eloy Detention Center / Banner Desert Medical Center, Mesa, Arizona | Oscar Duarte Rascon | 58 | 2025-09-15 [55] [56] | Late-stage Alzheimer's disease, kidney cancer, and hepatitis C. | |
| 2025-08-31 | Central Arizona Correctional Complex / Mountain Vista Medical Center, Florence, Arizona | Lorenzo Antonio Batrez Vargas | 32 | 2025-09-02 [57] [58] | Cause of death suspected pulmonary complications. | |
| 2025-08-05 | Moshannon Valley Processing Center, Philipsburg, Pennsylvania | Chaofeng Ge | 32 | 2025-08-06 [59] [60] [61] | Ge was in ICE custody for 5 days, and was then found hanging by the neck in a shower stall. The county coroner report later determined his feet and hands to be bound but ruled the cause to be suicide and noted rare, known cases of self-restraint in suicide cases. In spite of the ruling, an investigation is ongoing. | |
| 2025-07-19 | Karnes County Immigration Processing Center / Methodist Hospital Northeast, Karnes City, Texas | Tien Xuan Phan | 55 | 2025-07-22 [62] [63] | Phan was hospitalized on July 18 for seizures, vomiting, and unresponsiveness before his death. | |
| 2025-06-26 | Krome Service Processing Center Medical Housing Unit / HCA Kendall Florida Hospital, Miami, Florida | Isidro Perez | 75 | 2025-06-29 [64] [65] | Experienced chest pains and was initially responsive to CPR and defibrillator shock, but later died at the hospital. | |
| 2025-06-23 | Bureau of Prisons Federal Detention Center, Miami, Florida | Johnny Noviello | 49 | 2025-06-25 [66] [67] | Was found unresponsive, and received CPR and defibrillator shocks. | |
| 2025-06-07 | Phoebe Sumter Hospital, Americus, Georgia | Jesus Molina-Veya | 45 | 2025-06-11 [68] [69] | Discovered unresponsive with a cloth ligature around his neck tied to the bottom rail of the top bunk. | |
| 2025-05-05 | Lowndes County Jail, Valdosta, Georgia | Abelardo Avelleneda-Delgado | 68 | 2025-05-08 [70] [4] | Became unresponsive and died en route from Lowndes County Jail to the Stewart Detention Center. | |
| 2025-04-25 | Broward Transitional Center, Pompano Beach, Florida, | Marie Ange Blaise | 44 | 2025-04-29 [71] [72] | Over 32 day retention, six medical examinations noted elevated blood pressure and decreased kidney function. Education on importance of taking blood pressure medication was given. Nurses noted refusal to take medication on nine occasions. Renal diet was ordered after noted noncompliance. Died of cardiovascular failure due to high blood pressure. | |
| 2025-04-16 | El Paso Processing Center / Long Term Acute Care Hospital, El Paso, Texas | Nhon Ngoc Nguyen | 55 | 2025-04-18 [73] [74] | LTAC Hospital staff reported Mr. NGUYEN’s diagnosis of AMS, dementia, agitation, stage II pressure ulcer, and maximum assistance required for all ADLs. Hospital staff reported placing Mr. NGUYEN on a BiPAP machine due to respiratory distress. Transferred to hospice for end-of-life care where he later died. | |
| 2025-04-08 | Phelps County Jail, Rolla, Missouri | Brayan Rayo-Garzon | 27 | 2025-04-10 [75] [76] | Intake screening documented normal vital signs, labored breathing, endorsement of anxiety, history of heart murmur, and denial of suicidal thoughts, self-harm, hopelessness, depression, or medication use. Referred him to routine mental health checks. Tested positive for tuberculosis and COVID in the ER. Mental health appointment was rescheduled due to diagnosis. Found unresponsive in his cell with a blanket wrapped around his neck. | |
| 2025-02-23 | Centro Medico Hospital, San Juan, Puerto Rico | Juan Alexis Tineo-Martinez | 44 | 2025-03-03 [77] | Mr. TINEO-Martinez was diagnosed with a collapsed lung. He was canalized to provide oxygen, and medical professionals conducted additional tests. Over the next day, hospital staff noted that Mr. TINEO-Martinez was not responding well to treatment. A toxicology report indicated an extremely high amount of cocaine in his blood system and the doctor told HSI agents that Mr. TINEO-Martinez had minimal chance of survival. Mr. TINEO-Martinez died early morning on February 23, 2025. | |
| 2025-02-20 | Krome Service and Processing Center / HCA Kendall Hospital, Miami, Florida | Maksym Chernyak | 45 | 2025-02-24 [78] [79] | Died of a stroke. | |
| 2025-01-29 | Eloy Detention Center / Banner University Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona | Serawit Gezahegn Dejene | 45 | 2025-02-07 [80] [81] | BCGH medical staff diagnosed Mr. DEJENE with acute respiratory distress, pneumonia, possible lymphoma, a pericardial effusion. He was transferred to BUMCP intensive care where he was diagnosed with acute respiratory distress, pneumonia, possible lymphoma with metastases in the lungs, sepsis, supraventricular tachycardia, tuberculosis and ischemic stroke. His next of kin requested him removed from life support. | |
| 2025-01-23 | Krome Service Processing Center / Larkin Community Hospital Palm Springs, Hialeah, Florida | Genry Ruiz Guillen | 29 | 2025-01-24 [82] [83] | LSCH physician diagnosed Mr. RUIZ Guillen with hyperosmolality, hypernatremia, organic catatonic disorder, and rhabdomyolysis, for which Mr. RUIZ Guillen received treatment. LSCH medical staff transferred Mr. RUIZ Guillen to Larkin Behavioral Health Hospital Services for psychiatric treatment. LBHS medical staff transferred Mr. RUIZ Guillen to Larkin Community Hospital Palm Springs due to unresolved rhabdomyolysis where he died to his medical condition. |
In 2024, 11 deaths in ICE detention were reported.
| Date | Location | Name | Age | Nationality | ICE disclosure | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-12-16 | Ramesh Amechand | 60 | [84] | |||
| 2024-11-01 | Pankaj Karan Singh Kataria | 60 | [85] | |||
| 2024-10-27 | Jose Manuel Sanchez-Castro | 36 | [86] | |||
| 2024-09-07 | Brendy Yohana Bamaca-Zacarias | 24 | [87] | |||
| 2024-06-15 | Jhon Benavides Quintana | 32 | [88] | |||
| 2024-05-22 | Hugo Roberto Boror-Urla | 39 | [89] | |||
| 2024-05-22 | Cambric Dennis | 44 | [90] | |||
| 2024-04-18 | Edixon Del Jesus Farias-Farias | 26 | [91] | |||
| 2024-04-15 | Jaspal Singh | 57 | [92] | |||
| 2024-03-07 | Charles Leo Daniel | 61 | [93] | |||
| 2024-02-23 | Ousmane Ba | 33 | [94] |
In 2023, seven deaths in ICE detention were reported.
| Date | Location | Name | Age | Nationality | ICE disclosure | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-12-06 | Philipsburg, Pennsylvania | Frankline Okpu | 37 | [95] | ||
| 2023-12-04 | South Miami, Florida | Carlos Juan Francisco | 42 | [96] | ||
| 2023-11-13 | Karnes City, Texas | Subash Shrestha | 34 | [97] | ||
| 2023-10-08 | Los Fresnos, Texas | Julio Cesar Chirino Peralta | 32 | [98] | ||
| 2023-06-23 | Jena, Louisiana | Ernesto Rocha-Cuadra | 42 | [99] | ||
| 2023-04-04 | Salvador Rosales-Vargas | 61 | [100] | |||
| 2023-03-05 | La Mesa, California | Cristian Dumitrascu | 50 | [101] |
In 2022, three deaths in ICE detention were reported.
| Date | Location | Name | Age | Nationality | ICE disclosure | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-10-13 | Aurora, Colorado | Melvin Ariel Calero Mendoza | 39 | [102] | ||
| 2022-08-24 | Albuquerque, New Mexico | Kesley Vial | 23 | [103] | ||
| 2022-07-08 | Florence, Arizona | Benjamin Gonzalez-Soto | 36 | [104] |
In 2021, five deaths in ICE detention were reported.
| Date | Location | Name | Age | Nationality | ICE disclosure | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-10-01 | Natchez, Mississippi | Pablo Sanchez-Gotopo | 40 | [105] | ||
| 2021-08-03 | Harlingen, Texas | Elba Maria Centeno-Briones | 37 | [106] | ||
| 2021-03-15 | Harlingen, Texas | Diego Fernando Gallego-Agudelo | 45 | [107] | ||
| 2021-02-05 | Battle Creek, Michigan | Jesse Dean | 58 | [108] | ||
| 2021-01-30 | Columbus, Georgia | Felipe Montes | 57 | [109] |
In 2020, 18 deaths in ICE detention were reported.
| Date | Location | Name | Age | Nationality | Ice Disclosure | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-12-17 | Anthony Jones | 51 | [110] | |||
| 2020-09-26 | Romien Jally | 56 | [111] | |||
| 2020-09-31 | Cipriano Chavez Alvarez | 61 | [112] | |||
| 2020-08-28 | Fernando Sabonger-Garcia | 50 | [113] | |||
| 2020-08-10 | Jose Freddy Guillen Vega | 70 | [114] | |||
| 2020-08-05 | Kuan Hui Lee | 51 | [115] | |||
| 2020-08-05 | James Tomas Hill | 72 | [116] | |||
| 2020-07-15 | Luis (aka Hernandez-Cabrera, Mauricio) Sanchez-Perez | 46 | [117] | |||
| 2020-07-12 | Onoval Perez-Montufa | 51 | [118] | |||
| 2020-05-24 | Santiago Baten-Oxlaj | 34 | [119] | |||
| 2020-05-17 | Choung Woong Ahn | 74 | [120] | |||
| 2020-05-06 | Carlos Ernesto Escobar-Mejia | 57 | [121] | |||
| 2020-03-21 | Ramiro Hernandez-Ibarra | 42 | [122] | |||
| 2020-03-18 | Orlan Ariel Carcamo-Navarro | 27 | [123] | |||
| 2020-03-08 | Maria Celeste Ochoa-Yoc De Ramirez | 22 | [124] | |||
| 2020-02-20 | David Hernandez-Colula | 34 | [125] | |||
| 2020-01-27 | Alberto Hernandez-Fundora | 63 | [126] | |||
| 2020-01-25 | Ben James Owen | 39 | [127] |
In 2019, nine deaths in ICE detention were reported.
| Date | Location | Name | Age | Nationality | ICE disclosure | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-12-29 | Samuelino Mavinga | 40 | [128] | |||
| 2019-12-21 | Anthony Oluseye Akinyemi | 56 | [129] | |||
| 2019-10-15 | Roylan Hernandez-Diaz | 43 | [130] | |||
| 2019-10-01 | Nebane Abienwi | 37 | [131] | |||
| 2019-09-10 | Roberto Rodriguez-Espinoza | 37 | [132] | |||
| 2019-07-24 | Pedro Arriago-Santoya | 44 | [133] | |||
| 2019-06-30 | Yimi Alexis Balderramos-Torres | 30 | [134] | |||
| 2019-05-03 | Simratpal Singh | 21 | [135] | |||
| 2019-04-03 | Abel Reyes-Clemente | 54 | [136] |
This does not include the death of Medina Leon, who was released from ICE custody in critical condition due to pneumonia and HIV, and died four days later on June 1, 2019. [137]
In 2018, nine deaths in ICE detention were reported.
| Date | Location | Name | Age | Nationality | ICE disclosure | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-11-30 | Jacksonville, Florida | Guerman Volkov | 56 | [138] | ||
| 2018-11-18 | Tacoma, Washington | Mergensana Amar | 40 | [139] | ||
| 2018-11-01 | Key West, Florida | Wilfredo Padron | 58 | [140] | ||
| 2018-07-25 | San Diego, California | Augustina Ramirez-Arreola | 62 | [141] | ||
| 2018-07-10 | Lumpkin, Georgia | Efrain Romero De La Rosa | 40 | [142] | ||
| 2018-06-12 | Casa Grande, Arizona | Huy Chi Tran | 47 | [143] | ||
| 2018-05-25 | Albuquerque, New Mexico | Jeffry Hernandez (aka Roxana Hernandez) | 33 | [144] | ||
| 2018-05-16 | Ronal Francisco Romero (aka Ronald Cruz) | 39 | [145] | |||
| 2018-04-10 | Alvarado, Texas | Gourgen Mirimanian | 54 | [146] |
In 2017, at least 10 deaths in ICE detention were reported. [147]
| Date | Location | Name | Age | Nationality | ICE disclosure | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-12-02 | Kamyar Samimi | 64 | [148] | |||
| 2017-09-17 | Felipe Almazan-Ruiz | 51 | [149] | |||
| 2017-09-05 | Osvadis Montesino-Cabrera | 37 | [150] | |||
| 2017-06-12 | Carlos Mejia-Bonilla | 44 | [151] | |||
| 2017-06-02 | Vicente Caceres-Maradiaga | 46 | [152] | |||
| 2017-05-17 | Atulkumar Babubhai Patel | 58 | [153] | |||
| 2017-05-15 | Jean Jimenez-Joseph | 27 | [154] | |||
| 2017-04-13 | Sergio Alonso Lopez | 55 | [155] | |||
| 2017-03-28 | Osmar Epifanio Gonzalez-Gadba | 32 | [156] | |||
| 2017-03-13 | Roger Rayson | 47 | [157] |
In 2016, twelve deaths in ICE detention were reported. [158]
| Date | Location | Name | Age | Nationality | ICE disclosure | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-11-27 | Calderon‐DeHildago, Raquel | 36 | [159] | |||
| 2016-11-25 | Campos, Wenceslau Esmerio | 49 | [160] | |||
| 2016-10-24 | Joshua‐Toyin, Olubunmi | 54 | [161] | |||
| 2016-09-27 | Tino‐Lopez, Moises | 23 | [162] | |||
| 2016-07-28 | Carela, Santo | 60 | [163] | |||
| 2016-06-13 | Fino Martinez, Luis Alonso | 54 | [164] | |||
| 2016-06-01 | Boch‐Paniagua, Juan Luis | 36 | [165] | |||
| 2016-05-01 | Zyazin, Igor | 46 | [166] | |||
| 2016-04-28 | Leonardo Lemus‐Rajo, Jose | 23 | [167] | |||
| 2016-04-07 | Barcenas‐Padilla, Rafael | 50 | [168] | |||
| 2016-03-17 | Saengsiri, Thongchay | 65 | [169] | |||
| 2016-01-22 | Banegas‐ Guzman, Saul Enrique | 46 | [170] |
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