Federal employees wear Immigration and Customs Enforcement badges, New York, June 10, 2025. Yuki Iwamura/AP
Yuki Iwamura/AP
MIAMI — A tragic incident has occurred in a Florida county jail designed for holding immigrants. A 19-year-old Mexican immigrant, identified as Royer Perez-Jiménez, was reported dead, according to information from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Initial reports from ICE suggest that Perez-Jiménez “died of a presumed suicide,” although the official cause of death remains under investigation. His passing marks the 46th death in ICE custody since President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, as tracked by the Associated Press.
This week has seen escalated concern following Perez-Jiménez’s death, which is the second fatality in ICE custody within just a few days. An Afghan immigrant, who reportedly sought refuge in the U.S. after serving in the military, passed away in a Texas hospital shortly after his apprehension by immigration authorities.
Since the start of this year alone, 13 immigrants have lost their lives while in ICE custody, and Perez-Jiménez is noted as the youngest person to die in this context since President Trump began his second term.
While the 21st District Medical Examiner’s Office has not responded to requests for the autopsy report, the Florida Attorney General’s Office has directed inquiries to the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Attorney General’s Office. The Mexican government has condemned these fatalities in migrant detention centers as “unacceptable,” urging for a swift and thorough investigation to avert future incidents. Consulate officials in Miami have since visited the facility where Perez-Jiménez was detained, calling for immediate access to documents related to the event.
The immigrant community has reacted strongly to Perez-Jiménez’s death, with advocates underscoring the hazards inherent in the immigration detention system. Carly Perez Fernandez, communications director for the Detention Watch Network, emphasized that the system deprives individuals of their freedom and isolates them from family, exposing them to harsh conditions.
ICE reported that officers discovered Perez-Jiménez unresponsive at 2:34 a.m. at the Glades County Detention Center in Moore Haven, which was closed under the Biden administration and later reopened by the Trump administration. Approximately 55 miles northeast of Fort Myers, this facility has faced scrutiny for its treatment of detainees, with reports of unsanitary conditions.
ICE officials stated that staff initiated CPR immediately upon finding him unresponsive, but despite their efforts, he was pronounced dead just 17 minutes later. Perez-Jiménez had been apprehended by local law enforcement in Volusia County, Florida, on January 22, facing charges of felony impersonation and resisting an officer, before being transferred to ICE custody a month later.
As part of ongoing issues surrounding immigration policies in Florida—one of the states closely aligned with the Trump administration—there have been troubling reports of overcrowded detention conditions leading to an increase in long-term detentions. A new policy has emerged which effectively restricts immigration judges from releasing detainees while their deportation cases are processed, contributing to a significant backlog in the court system.
