Immigrant detention deaths reach 20-year high under Trump
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At least 31 people died in ICE custody last year, a two-decade high, as President Trump's mass-detention surge strains a system already under fire for dangerous conditions.
Why it matters: Immigrants rights groups warn deaths will keep rising as the administration floods ICE with more cash — and that the agency's facilities may not be equipped to handle the influx of detained people.
- The Trump administration's policy of limiting congressional oversight visits to ICE facilities has exacerbated those fears, fueling an impeachment push against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
By the numbers: The 2025 death toll nearly tripled from the 11 deaths in 2024, according to an Axios review of ICE news releases.
- The next closest peak was 20 deaths in 2020, when COVID-19 raced through tightly packed detention centers.
- By comparison, ICE reported 26 deaths during all four years of former President Biden's term.
Flashback: Deaths similarly jumped during President George W. Bush's immigration crackdown in 2004, resulting in 32 deaths.
The big picture: Outrage at ICE hit a new peak after an agent shot and killed a 37-year-old mother in Minneapolis earlier this month, intensifying alarm among lawmakers and protesters who were already demanding answers about deteriorating conditions inside detention centers.
- "We've been warning about this for over a year, that conditions have been deteriorating, that deaths are climbing, and now we're seeing that," Setareh Ghandehari, a spokesperson for the Detention Watch Network tells Axios.
- "We will likely see many more deaths if things continue as they have."
Zoom in: Amnesty International reported in December that people held at one center described "poor quality food, extreme temperatures, permanent lighting, and limited access to clean water."
- At another facility, the ACLU says people reported being denied insulin and disability accommodations, blocked from seeing lawyers and forced to use bathrooms with sewage bubbling up from drains.
What they're saying: A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security told Axios that there was "no spike in deaths" in ICE custody in 2025, arguing the death rate per person has remained stable.
- "Every detainee receives food, water, medical care, bedding and clean clothing. All detainees are receiving three meals a day that are certified by dietitians," they said.
- DHS says it screens everyone for medical, dental and mental health needs within 12 hours of arrival, and conducts a full health assessment within two weeks. Detained people also have access access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care.
What we're watching: Congress requires ICE to publish death reports within 90 days, but ICE has not published one since the end of September, according to an Axios review of agency press releases.
- DHS did not answer Axios' questions about when it would update the tracker.
Go deeper: Abolishing ICE: A slogan with several interpretations
