Why is the US immigration custody death rate rising so fast under Trump?
The findings have raised serious concerns among rights groups and immigration advocates.
A joint report by Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights said at least 52 people have died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities since President Donald Trump began his second term in January 2025. The report links the increase to expanded detention policies and a larger number of people being held for longer periods.
The Trump administration has made illegal immigration enforcement a major focus of its second term. Authorities have increased arrests and expanded detention centers across the country.
According to the report, the annual death rate in ICE custody between January 2025 and January 2026 rose by 140 percent compared to the previous year. Researchers said the increase was much greater than the growth in the detainee population.
The report stated that the death rate is nearly four times higher than during the administration of former President Joe Biden. It also said the rate is more than double that recorded during Trump’s first term from 2017 to 2021.
"We have seen the death rate in ICE custody skyrocket," said Reagan Williams, a Human Rights Watch researcher and co-author of the report. He argued that instead of addressing the problem, authorities have expanded detention practices.
The report highlighted several individual cases. One involved a 44-year-old man from Ukraine who reportedly suffered a stroke while in detention and allegedly did not receive appropriate emergency medical treatment despite showing clear warning signs.
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Another case involved a 39-year-old Mexican detainee who reportedly died from cardiac arrest linked to septic shock. The report claimed that his repeated requests for treatment of an infected abscess were not handled properly.
ICE has faced criticism over its enforcement methods in recent years. Earlier this year, leadership changes took place within the agency after agents in Minneapolis fatally shot two US citizens during an operation.
A spokesperson for the US Department of Homeland Security rejected claims of a sharp increase in deaths. The department said death rates remain consistent with long-term trends and account for only 0.009 percent of the detained population.
The spokesperson also stated, "As bed space has rapidly expanded, we have maintained higher a standard of care than most prisons that hold US citizens — including providing access to proper medical care. For many illegal aliens this is the best healthcare they have received their entire lives."
However, the report concluded that medical services in detention facilities have not kept pace with the rapid growth of detention centers. Researchers said overcrowding and longer detention periods may be contributing to healthcare problems.
Katherine Peeler, a co-author of the report and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, said the US government is "failing on all counts" in protecting detainees. She claimed that available medical records showed serious shortcomings in the duty of care provided to people in custody.
The report also noted a rise in suicides among detainees. Seven people reportedly died by suicide between January 2025 and January 2026, compared with only one such death recorded in 2024.
Researchers reviewed ICE detention death trends from 2015 to 2026 and compared them with earlier studies dating back to 2004. They also interviewed family members, lawyers and former detainees while examining the circumstances surrounding 39 deaths recorded during the one-year period.
The report has intensified the debate over US immigration policies and detention conditions. While the government rejects the findings, rights groups say the growing number of deaths highlights the need for closer oversight and better medical care inside detention facilities.
