Key facts
- ICE will no longer report deaths of individuals released from its custody.
- The death rate in U.S. immigration detention facilities has more than doubled since January 2025.
- Fifty individuals have died in U.S. immigration detention since January 2025.
- Experts reviewed ICE records and autopsies, raising concerns about supervision and medical care quality.
- Many ICE death reports reviewed by Reuters omitted critical information.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will stop reporting deaths of individuals released from its custody, citing a lack of responsibility post-release. This decision comes as a Reuters analysis of ICE data reveals that the death rate among detainees has more than doubled since President Donald Trump launched his mass deportation campaign.
Between 2009 and 2024, U.S. immigration facilities averaged one death annually for every 3,848 detainees. However, since Trump's return to office, this rate has increased to approximately one death for every 1,630 people, based on preliminary data through early June. A total of 50 individuals have died in U.S. immigration detention since January 2025.
Experts who reviewed ICE records and autopsies expressed concerns about the quality of supervision and medical care in detention centers, which have seen their populations significantly increase under the Trump administration. The detainee population rose from about 14,000 in February 2021 to a peak of about 70,000 in January, before settling around 57,000 in early June. Twenty-one of the 50 deaths were discovered after the detainee was already deceased or unresponsive, including 10 suicides, which experts suggest could indicate a lack of health oversight and timely care.
Cardiovascular issues accounted for 16 deaths, leading medical experts to suggest potential problems with initial health screenings and chronic-disease management. The Department of Homeland Security stated that it is committed to providing a safe, secure, and humane environment and comprehensive medical care. However, the detail in death reports from the Trump administration has been criticized for omitting crucial information such as medical history and emergency response details, making it difficult to determine the factors contributing to the rising death rate.