Detainees stand by a window inside the federal immigration center at Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey, where ICE is housing detained immigrants, on May 26, 2026.
52 people died in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody during the first 500 days of President Trump’s second term, reflecting a soaring mortality rate. ICE so severely limits the information it provides to Congress, families, and the public that oversight is nearly impossible.The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Congress should act immediately to reduce the number of people in detention and to ensure access to adequate health care in line with the United States’ human rights obligations.
(Washington, DC, June 25, 2026) – The rate of people dying in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody has soared, with at least 52 deaths reported since the start of President Donald Trump’s current administration, Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights said in a report released today.
June 25, 2026 Dying in Detention
Rising Deaths in an Expanding US Immigration Detention System
Download the full report in English
Appendices
The 73-page report, “Dying in Detention: Rising Deaths in an Expanding US Immigration Detention System,” documents the increasing number of deaths in ICE custody through expert statistical and medical analysis, exposing a rising mortality rate and raising serious questions about the adequacy of the health care provided by ICE and its contracted personnel. The increase in the mortality rate comes as the Trump administration is subjecting record numbers of immigrants to mandatory detention, including in inhuman and degrading conditions, while gutting internal oversight mechanisms.
“People are
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