Deaths in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities reached 33 last year, marking the highest number in two decades as the Trump administration's expanded immigration enforcement strains the system's medical capabilities. The fatalities include cases where detainees complained of health problems for weeks before dying, raising questions about care standards in facilities housing record numbers of immigrants awaiting deportation proceedings.
Among the deaths was Mr. Damas, who fell ill at a CoreCivic-operated Arizona detention center and was hospitalized on February 19 after reporting shortness of breath. Another detainee, Mr. Ayala-Uribe, died after complaining of rectal pain for three weeks, according to an autopsy cited by the Homeland Security Department.
The deaths occurred as ICE operates what officials describe as the largest detention system in the agency's history, holding record numbers of immigrants as the Trump administration pursues mass deportations. Despite the unprecedented scale, the death rate remains below historic peaks when adjusted for the total detention population, according to The New York Times.
CoreCivic, the private prison company operating the Arizona facility where Mr. Damas died, said in a statement that it takes "very seriously" the death of anyone in its care. ICE spokeswoman Lauren Bis defended the agency's medical standards, claiming ICE maintains "higher detention standards than most U.S. prisons." American prisons have long faced criticism for deficient medical care provided to inmates.
Immigration advocates argue the deaths reflect systemic problems with medical care in detention facilities. "The abhorrent and worsening conditions in detention centers, gross negligence and a complete lack of oversight have contributed to yet another grim record for deaths in ICE custody," said Jennifer Ibañez Whitlock, senior policy counsel at the National Immigration Law Center.
The rising death toll coincides with growing community resistance to ICE's expanding detention footprint. In Williamsport, Maryland, local residents are fighting a proposed detention center, with some Trump supporters questioning the enforcement approach.
"They're getting the wrong people," says Donnie Dagenhart, a construction company owner near the proposed Maryland facility who supported Trump for years but has soured on the president over immigration enforcement methods, according to Houston Public Media.
Recent immigration enforcement actions have expanded beyond traditional targets. ABC News reports that ICE agents are now being deployed to airports amid government operations, with Transportation Secretary Duffy saying ICE agents are trained and can assist TSA. The agency has detained individuals including a Columbia University student in school housing and teenage mariachi brothers who were later released.
The deaths include both recent arrivals and long-term detainees. A 19-year-old Mexican immigrant died in ICE custody this week, while an Afghan man died just one day after being detained, highlighting the vulnerability of newly detained individuals to medical emergencies.
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The Trump administration's immigration crackdown is expanding, but public data tracking these operations is becoming less accessible, making it harder for oversight groups to monitor conditions and outcomes in the detention system.
As ICE operations intensify, immigration conference participants are calling for federal agencies to require all detention buildings to meet local health and safety standards and obtain appropriate zoning and building permit approvals before converting warehouses and other facilities for immigration detention purposes.