ICE deaths continue to climb in 2026

Nineteen immigrants have died in ICE custody in 2026, and 31 died last year, according to data reviewed by Axios from the Detention Watch Network.

The big picture: Outrage over ICE hit home after an ICE agent fatally shot a Mexican national who was a longtime Houston resident last week.

• Witnesses disputed the Department of Homeland Security's account of the killing, saying agents were never in danger.

By the numbers: Fourteen Mexican nationals have died in ICE custody since President Trump returned to office, and another three have died during ICE operations, according to Mexico's Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco Álvarez.

• By comparison, ICE reported 26 total deaths across President Biden's term.

What they're doing: Mexico plans to file criminal complaints in the U.S. over the deaths of Mexican nationals in ICE custody.

• "What we can't do is neglect the Mexicans who have died in ICE operations or who were detained in detention centers…that's why we're pressing for more action," Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum told reporters last week.

The other side: "There has been NO spike in deaths," a Homeland Security official told Axios in an emailed statement.

• "Consistent with data over the last decade, as of May 29, death rates in custody under the Trump administration are 0.008% of the detained population," per the statement.
• "As bed space has rapidly expanded, we have maintained a higher standard of care than most prisons that hold U.S. citizens — including providing access to proper medical care."

Flashback: Deaths similarly jumped during President George W. Bush's immigration crackdown in 2004, resulting in 32 deaths.