NATIONAL — Fifty-two people died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody during the first 500 days of President Donald Trump’s second term, according to a report by Physicians for Human Rights that found the mortality rate has reached its highest level in more than a decade.
“The mortality rate of deaths in ICE custody is at its highest level in over a decade and has more than doubled since Trump’s second term began,” the report states.
During Trump’s second term, an intensified immigration enforcement campaign led to an increase in immigration detention, resulting in a record population of more than 71,000 people in ICE custody by January 2026. Although the number of people in detention increased, the number of deaths in ICE custody rose at a disproportionately higher rate than the detained population.
According to the report, “January 2025 – January 2026 saw an approximately 140 percent increase in the annual mortality rate compared to the prior year.”
Researchers based their findings on a statistical analysis of 52 deaths in ICE custody and medical reviews of 39 cases conducted by Physicians for Human Rights, with additional interviews carried out by Human Rights Watch.
Under international human rights law, each state has a responsibility to protect the right to life. Because of this, when the government detains a person, it is obligated to ensure that person receives adequate health care. In the event of a death in custody, the government also must provide all relevant information, including medical reports and investigations into the death, to the person’s family.
ICE policy requires that deaths in custody be publicly disclosed within 48 hours, followed by a more detailed report on the circumstances and facts surrounding the death within the next 30 days.
However, according to Physicians for Human Rights, “In all 39 cases, the government did not publicly provide sufficient information about the circumstances of death or about the medical care provided in detention to support a definitive clinical assessment. The available documentation was often scant, but it was nonetheless sufficient to identify serious concerns about the care provided.”
A review by Physicians for Human Rights medical experts found that delayed health care was a factor in several of the 39 deaths examined during the current administration’s first year.
In one case, a 44-year-old Ukrainian man experienced a stroke while in custody. Although he showed clear signs of a stroke, including nonreactive dilated pupils and seizure-like movements, detention center staff did not provide appropriate emergency medical care.
In another case, a 39-year-old Mexican man, Ismael Ayala-Uribe, died from cardiac arrest that likely resulted from septic shock, according to Physicians for Human Rights. The report states that his repeated efforts to obtain treatment for an abscess were not adequately addressed.
Furthermore, “the high number of people who died by apparent suicide in detention is also a serious concern. According to ICE records, seven people died by apparent suicide from January 20, 2025 to January 19, 2026.”
“The high number suggests that the state may be failing to adequately respond to the risk of suicide.”
According to the report, the increase in deaths in immigration detention is linked to longstanding problems within detention facilities and new policies implemented by the Trump administration. Those issues include poor detention conditions, inadequate health care, overcrowding and policy changes that have expanded the number of people held in custody.
The report concludes, “The United States has obligations to protect the lives and health of those in its custody. The deaths of people in US immigration detention raise concerns that the United States has violated the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which protects the right to life and obligates states to take steps to safeguard the lives of those in custody.”
“For the United States to meet its human rights obligations and prevent more deaths in ICE custody, immediate action is needed to reduce the number of people in detention and to improve overall detention conditions, including by using detention only as a last resort.”
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