At least eleven migrants died in U.S. custody between January and early March 2026 while under the supervision of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to data published by the agency. This figure follows the 31 deaths recorded in 2025, a level not seen in two decades.
Among the cases documented is that of Emanuel Cleeford Damas, a Haitian national who died on March 2nd in a Scottsdale, Arizona hospital. ICE had detained him after his assault arrest in Boston in September 2025, before transferring him to the Florence detention center in Arizona.
According to the agency, Damas reported breathing difficulties on February 19 and was taken to a local hospital, then transferred to a facility in Phoenix where he was admitted to intensive care. He was placed on a ventilator before dying on March 2. ICE stated that the cause of his death was not yet known.
In an interview with the Associated Press, the deceased's brother claimed that the death was caused by an infection related to an untreated toothache. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, when questioned about this, referred to the official ICE statement, which makes no mention of any dental issues.
Another case mentioned concerns Pejman Karshenas Najafabadi, a detainee whose death is also among the incidents recorded this year by migration authorities.
Deaths in custody are regularly criticized by human rights organizations and some elected officials, who denounce the conditions of detention and access to medical care in facilities managed or overseen by ICE. The agency, for its part, maintains that it conducts internal investigations into each death and publishes information about these incidents in accordance with federal transparency rules.
