At least 52 deaths have occurred in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities since President Donald Trump began his second term in January 2025, according to multiple reports [1, 2]. The death rate in custody increased by 140% from January 2025 to January 2026 compared to the previous year, a rise disproportionate to the detainee population growth [1, 2]. Experts say the rate is nearly four times higher than during the Biden administration and more than twice the death rate seen in Trump’s first term from 2017 to 2021 [1, 3, 2].
Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights issued a joint report in June 2026 that cited medical neglect and inhumane conditions as causes of detainee deaths [1, 3, 2]. The report described specific cases such as a 44-year-old Ukrainian man who suffered a stroke without adequate care and a 39-year-old Mexican man who died from cardiac arrest linked to septic shock from an infected abscess [1, 2]. Suicides among detainees rose sharply, with seven deaths recorded in 2026 compared to one in 2024 [2, 3].
US government statistics cited by the UN show at least 19 deaths in ICE detention in 2026 so far [3]. Five of the deaths were classified as suicides, and some raise concerns about the use of force in facilities [3]. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has prioritized immigration crackdowns and expanded detention center capacity, leading to higher detainee populations [1, 3]. President Trump has boasted of a record high average daily arrest rate by ICE and CBP [3].
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) disputes that death rates have spiked, stating they remain at 0.009% of the detained population. A DHS spokesperson said, “As bed space has rapidly expanded, we have maintained a higher standard of care than most prisons that hold US citizens – including providing access to proper medical care” [1, 2]. However, human rights advocates demand better protection and medical treatment. Harvard Medical School assistant professor Katherine Peeler said the government “has completely failed” to protect detainee safety as overcrowding has worsened medical care quality [2]. Reagan Williams of Human Rights Watch added, “Instead of taking action to address this crisis and protect the lives and health of those in custody, we’ve seen the administration pour its resources into subjecting more and more people to prolonged detention” [1].
On June 4, 2026, a Georgian detainee, Mamuka Artmeladze, died in a Louisiana detention center [3]. Following the June 25 release of the joint report, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk called for an independent investigation into migrant deaths in US detention centers and said, “Those responsible for violations of the law must be held to account” [3]. The investigation demand came on June 26, 2026 [3].
