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ICE on Course for Deadliest Year as 75-Year-Old Detainee Dies

Scrutiny has risen over ICE’s overcrowded detention centers after a string of recent deaths spurred federal investigations alongside foreign government demands for accountability.

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Overview

  • ICE has recorded at least 13 deaths in its facilities since October 2024, surpassing the previous fiscal year’s total and marking the agency’s deadliest pace in decades.
  • Isidro Perez, a 75-year-old Cuban national paroled in 1966, died on June 26 at the Krome detention center after reporting chest pains; officials are investigating the cause of death.
  • Facilities are operating at roughly 140 percent of capacity as the administration pursues daily arrest targets near 3,000, exacerbating overcrowding and straining medical resources.
  • U.S. border czar Tom Homan brushed off concerns over detainee fatalities by comparing ICE detentions to county jails and prisons, drawing criticism from advocates.
  • Following the deaths of a Canadian citizen and other detainees, foreign governments and oversight groups have demanded transparency and accountability in ICE detention practices.