Tragic Death of Mexican Immigrant in ICE Custody Sparks Outrage
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has confirmed the death of a 19-year-old Mexican immigrant, Royer Perez-Jimenez, while in custody at a Florida county jail designated for immigrant detainment. His passing on Monday is linked to what ICE has called a “presumed suicide,” although the official cause of death remains under investigation.
This incident marks the 46th reported death of an individual in ICE custody since January 2025, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s administration. Perez-Jimenez is notably the second individual to die under ICE care this week alone, following the death of an Afghan immigrant in a Texas hospital, who was detained after fleeing his home country where he had served in the U.S. military.
Over the course of this year, 13 immigrants have lost their lives while in custody, with Perez-Jimenez being the youngest to die since the onset of Trump’s second term and intensified immigration enforcement measures.
Limited Information from Authorities
The 21st District Medical Examiner’s Office has not responded to a request from The Associated Press for details regarding the autopsy report. The Florida Attorney General’s Office has directed all inquiries to the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Attorney General’s Office for information.
In a statement on Thursday, the Mexican government labeled such deaths in detention as “unacceptable” and urged a prompt and thorough investigation from U.S. authorities to prevent similar occurrences in the future. Officials from the Mexican Consulate General in Miami have visited the facility where Perez-Jimenez was held, seeking documents related to the investigation into his death.
The tragic passing of Perez-Jimenez has triggered significant outcry from the immigrant community. Carly Perez Fernandez, the communications director for the Detention Watch Network, expressed concern over the immigrant detention system, stating that it deprives individuals of their freedom, separates them from loved ones, and subjects them to harsh conditions.
Facility’s History and Circumstances of Death
According to ICE, at approximately 2:34 a.m. local time on Monday, staff at the Glades County Detention Center in Moore Haven, Florida, found Perez-Jimenez “unconscious and unresponsive.” This facility had previously been closed under the Biden administration before reopening under Trump’s tenure. Moore Haven is situated roughly 90 kilometers northeast of Fort Myers.
ICE officers who discovered Perez-Jimenez immediately called for medical assistance and began cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Medical personnel arrived shortly afterward but found no pulse. Additional rescue personnel later attempted life-saving measures, but Perez-Jimenez was pronounced dead at 2:51 a.m., only 17 minutes after being found.
Perez-Jimenez was arrested on January 22 by sheriff’s officials in Volusia County, Florida, facing charges of felony impersonation and resisting a police officer. He was transferred to ICE custody a month later. However, when the Associated Press requested an arrest report, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office stated that records of Perez-Jimenez could not be located in their system.
Florida has emerged as a key state for the Trump administration’s immigration policies and hosts multiple well-known immigrant detention facilities, such as the South Florida Detention Center and the Chrome North Service Processing Center. Reports from detainees have highlighted issues ranging from poor food quality to inadequate sanitary conditions.
Long-term detentions are increasingly prevalent under the current administration, attributed in part to new policies that restrict immigration judges from releasing detainees while deportation hearings are ongoing in overcrowded courts.
