The number of deaths in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody has risen to at least 16 since January 2025, sparking alarm among human rights advocates, lawmakers, and immigrant rights groups. The increase comes amid a surge in mass detention after Donald Trump returned to the White House earlier this year.
Elon Musk and Prince Andrew Named in New Jeffrey Epstein Files
Recent Deaths in ICE Custody
The latest case involved Ismael Ayala-Uribe, a 39-year-old Mexican national and former “Dreamer,” who died at an ICE facility in Adelanto, California. His death marked the 15th officially reported ICE detention death this year. Days later, a shooting at an ICE facility in Dallas killed one detainee and injured two others, raising the toll to 16.
A week earlier, a 42-year-old Honduran national died in ICE custody in Nassau County, New York, highlighting a troubling trend across detention centers.
ICE’s Response
ICE maintains that all detainees receive proper medical care and humane treatment. In a statement, the agency said it provides medical, dental, and mental health screenings within hours of arrival and ensures 24-hour access to emergency care. Despite these assurances, rights groups argue that systemic neglect and poor conditions are driving the rising death toll.
Rising Numbers in Detention
According to data reviewed by the Guardian, ICE was detaining nearly 60,000 people as of late September 2025, compared to fewer than 40,000 at the start of Trump’s second term in January. This surge has coincided with an alarming rise in deaths.
Migration researcher Adam Sawyer noted that under President Biden, 26 detainees died in four years, averaging about one death every two months. In contrast, nearly eight months into Trump’s new term, there have already been 15 deaths—averaging almost two per month.
Lawmakers Demand Accountability
Democratic senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff have demanded answers from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and acting ICE Director Todd Lyons. In a letter, they expressed “serious alarm” and requested details about recent deaths and plans to prevent further fatalities.
Advocates Sound the Alarm
Advocacy groups argue that detention conditions are worsening. Setareh Ghandehari of Detention Watch Network called ICE detention “inherently inhumane,” saying decades of neglect are now “resulting in more deaths.”
Michael Lukens of the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights criticized the system as designed to strip detainees of support: “If you wanted to deport as many people as possible, you’d ensure detainees get as little help as possible.”
Conclusion
The rising ICE detainee death toll underscores growing concerns about the conditions inside U.S. detention centers. With record-high detention numbers and nearly double the mortality rate compared to the previous administration, lawmakers and advocates are demanding transparency and urgent reforms. The debate over the balance between immigration enforcement and human rights is intensifying, as pressure mounts on ICE and the Department of Homeland Security to address these alarming trends.