Record High Deaths Among Immigrants in ICE Custody
AUTTIN, Texas — The number of immigrants who have died while in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has surged to a historic high this fiscal year. Government statistics reveal that 29 individuals have lost their lives in ICE custody since the beginning of the federal fiscal year in October, surpassing the previous record of 28 deaths reported in 2004.
The latest casualty is Aled Damian Carbonell Betancourt, a 27-year-old Cuban man detained in Miami, Florida. He was found unresponsive in his cell on April 12, with an initial report from ICE indicating that his death is presumed a suicide. The official cause is still pending investigation.
According to the report, Carbonell Betancourt entered the U.S. without proper documentation in 2024 and was later allowed into the country through a program known as parole, designed to permit non-citizens to enter without a formal visa, often for humanitarian purposes. His journey took a turn in 2025 when he was arrested for resisting an officer with violence, eventually leading to his ICE detention earlier this year.
This alarming increase in fatalities coincides with a sharp rise in detentions that occurred during the Trump administration. The number of detainees soared by more than 70% compared to the first year of the Biden administration, as ICE undertook an aggressive crackdown on immigration. Reports indicate that officials have unlawfully arrested and detained both domestic offenders and individuals with no criminal records, including some protected from deportation.
At present, approximately 60,000 individuals remain detained in various immigration facilities across the country. In a statement to NPR, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) refuted claims of a rising death toll, attributing the increase to the high number of individuals in their custody. They noted that, as of April 16, the death rate in custody under the Trump administration was 0.009% of the detention population.
DHS also emphasized that ICE is facilitating access to medical care for detainees. They stated, “For many illegal aliens, this is the best medical care they have received in their entire lives.” Furthermore, the agency encouraged detainees to voluntarily depart the country, asserting that “being detained or not is a choice.” Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons echoed this sentiment during a Congressional hearing, acknowledging that this year’s high death toll stems from unprecedented detention volumes since ICE’s establishment in 2003.
Texas and California Facilities Report Multiple Deaths
The Adelanto ICE Processing Center in California and Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas, have emerged as facilities with the highest death counts, each reporting three fatalities among detainees. The causes of these deaths have been attributed to various factors, including suicide, alcohol withdrawal, liver failure, and kidney failure, as detailed by ICE’s initial report. Some detainees exhibited concerning symptoms such as shortness of breath.
One death at Camp East Montana has been categorized as a homicide by the El Paso County Coroner’s Office. Gerardo Lunas Campos, who experienced “medical distress” at Camp East Montana, was reported to have become disruptive while awaiting medication and was subsequently placed in isolation. However, the El Paso Medical Examiner’s Office later classified his death as a homicide caused by “asphyxia due to compression of the neck and torso.” The FBI is currently investigating this incident. Chris Benoit, an attorney for Lunas Campos’ family, expressed that he considered Lunas Campos an “American in every sense of the word,” highlighting his decades-long residence and family connections in the U.S.
Despite his conviction history, which includes petty theft and other offenses, Lunas Campos’ family has indicated intentions to pursue a wrongful death lawsuit, seeking witness testimonies in court. As the death toll rises, concerns regarding the treatment and care of immigrants in detention facilities continue to garner attention from advocacy groups and lawmakers alike.
Rahul Mukherjee contributed to this report.
