WASHINGTON ¨C A Vietnamese man with cardiovascular problems collapsed and died in the ¡°Speedway Slammer,¡± the repurposed Indiana maximum-security prison that¡¯s become a symbol of the Trump administration¡¯s immigration crackdown. In ?a Pennsylvania detention center, a Chinese man who had previously attempted suicide was found hanging in the shower. In a New York facility, a Honduran man with an elevated heart rate and tremors from alcohol withdrawal died in his cell with no emergency care.
These men are among 50 people who have died in U.S. immigration detention since President Donald Trump launched his mass deportation campaign in January 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement records show. Between 2009 and 2024, U.S. immigration facilities had one death annually for every 3,848 detainees, based on the facilities¡¯ average daily population, an analysis of ICE data found. That rate has more than doubled since Trump returned to office, reaching about one death for every 1,630 people based on preliminary data through early June. The data was obtained by the Deportation Data Project through a public records request and processed by the Vera Institute of Justice, a nonprofit organization that advocates for lower incarceration rates.
The causes of detainee deaths can be complex and do not necessarily stem from neglect or abuse by detention-center administrators. But three experts in detention deaths who reviewed ICE records and autopsies?said the rising rate and ?other data points raised concerns about the quality of supervision and medical care in detention centers that have seen their populations balloon under Trump.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.