A Reuters analysis reveals that the death rate in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers has more than doubled since the president's administration launched its mass deportation campaign. Donald Trump back in January 2025.
According to data reviewed by Reuters, 50 people have died in migrant detention centers since the start of this policy. Several of these deaths involved detainees with medical or psychiatric conditions who, according to available information, did not receive the necessary care or supervision.
Among the cases cited is that of a Vietnamese national with cardiovascular problems who died after collapsing in a maximum-security prison in Indiana. A Chinese national, who had previously attempted suicide, was found hanged in a detention center in Pennsylvania. In New York, a Honduran migrant suffering from alcohol withdrawal symptoms reportedly died without receiving appropriate emergency care.
Health and migrant rights specialists interviewed by Reuters expressed concern about detention conditions, including access to medical care, monitoring of vulnerable detainees and the quality of surveillance in some facilities.
The investigation also highlights shortcomings in the official death reports published by ICE. These documents reportedly do not always contain essential information such as prescribed medications, emergency interventions performed, or complete details of the deceased's medical follow-up.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, rejected the allegations of systemic negligence. In a statement quoted by Reuters, the department affirmed its commitment to ensuring a "safe, secure, and humane" environment for individuals in administrative detention.
The issue of migrant detention conditions has become a major point of contention in the United States. Human rights organizations regularly accuse authorities of overcrowding, a lack of medical personnel, and excessive delays in processing detainees. Trump administration officials, on the other hand, maintain that the increase in the number of detainees is a result of stricter immigration controls and that the facilities comply with current federal standards.
The Reuters analysis comes as the White House's immigration policy remains one of the main topics of debate in the United States as the next political deadlines approach.
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