At Least 15 Immigrants Die in US Immigration Custody This Year, ICE Reports

At least 15 immigrants have died in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody from January 2026 through early April, according to ICE. This follows 31 deaths last year, a two-decade high.

Tuan Van Bui, a 55-year-old Vietnamese national, was found unresponsive at the Miami Correctional Facility in Indiana on April 1. The cause of death is under investigation.

Jose Guadalupe Ramos, a 25-year-old Mexican, died after being found unconscious and unresponsive in his bunk at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in Los Angeles on March 25. He was transferred to an area hospital where he was declared dead.

Royer Perez Jimenez, a 19-year-old Mexican, died at the Glades County Detention Center in Moore Haven, Florida, on March 16. The detention center’s staff unsuccessfully tried to resuscitate him for nearly 10 minutes after he was found unresponsive.

Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, a 41-year-old Afghan who worked with the U.S. military and later sought asylum, died at Parkland Hospital in Dallas on March 14 less than 24 hours after being detained. He had swelling of his tongue when medical staff noticed during breakfast.

Emanuel Cleeford Damas, a Haitian national, was taken into custody in September 2025 for assault and battery charges. He was transferred to the Florence Detention Center in Arizona on February 19 and died at a Phoenix hospital on March 2 after being intubated due to shortness of breath.

Pejman Karshenas Najafabadi, a 59-year-old Iranian national convicted of fentanyl possession, died at a Mississippi hospital on March 1. He had several chronic health conditions but remained detained and was transferred in October 2025 to the Louisiana ICE Processing Center.