Deaths in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody reached 32 in 2025, marking the highest level in two decades, according to foreign media reports.
Those who died included both recent asylum seekers and individuals who had been in the United States for years, some since childhood. While some were apprehended on criminal charges or following prison sentences, others were detained during broad ICE raids.
Reported causes of death ranged from medical conditions such as seizures, heart failure, stroke, respiratory failure, tuberculosis, to suicide. In several cases, families and lawyers alleged that neglect and repeated denials of medical care contributed to the deaths.
Local media cited ICE press releases indicating that several deaths in custody occurred during the first days of 2026 as well.
The rise in fatalities coincided with the Trump administration’s efforts to detain a record number of individuals. ICE data shows that more than 68,000 adults were in detention at the end of December 2025, compared to about 36,000 in December 2023.
