As deaths in ICE custody rise, agency releases fewer details: Report

Until late last year, when an immigrant died in a US detention center, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would issue a detailed three-page report outlining the circumstances.

As detainee deaths increased, those reports were shortened to four-paragraph summaries, NBC News reported on Thursday.

Previously, ICE policy required notifying the public and Congress within two days of a death, followed by posting full in-custody death reports online within 90 days. These typically included detailed timelines with medical observations, medications given, and the time and cause of death.

That changed in mid-December. Reports now generally provide only a brief summary of events leading up to the death.

Under President Donald Trump, the Department of Homeland Security has pledged to expand detention and deportation efforts, as facilities grow more overcrowded, overheated and affected by illness. ICE descriptions of conditions often differ sharply from those reported by detainees.

The Department of Homeland Security did not directly address the reporting changes, saying only that deaths represent a very small share of the total detained population.

“All detainees are provided with proper meals, water, medical treatment, and have opportunities to communicate with their family members and lawyers,” it said.

This week, ICE reported its 16th death of an immigrant detainee so far this year. The agency recorded 33 deaths last year — the highest total in over two decades — compared to 11 in 2024.

Though the number of people in ICE detention has dropped by 11% since February and ICE arrests are down by 21%, more than 60,000 people remain in custody — nearly double the number before Trump returned to office.