US immigration officials to stop reporting deaths of recently released detainees: Report

US immigration officials will stop reporting deaths of recently released detainees from immigration detention centers, The Washington Post reported Thursday.

The report said that as the number of immigrants dying in government custody rises, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is "shrinking the scope of which deaths it will be required to report."

The Post reviewed a memo sent to ICE employees from acting director David Venturella, which said that "ICE is eliminating its requirement to report deaths that occur within 30 days of people being released from its custody."

"ICE is returning to the standard practice of reporting deaths that occur while an individual is in agency custody," Venturella said.

The 30-day requirement was adopted in 2021, when President Joe Biden’s administration sought to hold ICE accountable for detainees released from its custody with serious medical conditions, said Deborah Fleischaker, who was acting chief of staff at the time.

According to the Post's report, earlier that year, a man who had contracted the coronavirus while detained at a California detention center died three days after ICE released him.

"The policy changed to make clear that ICE should not release people simply to avoid deaths in custody," Fleischaker said.

The Washington Post said a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed the change in policy, saying in an email that it is "common sense" that ICE should not be responsible for monitoring or reviews "when an individual passes away weeks after leaving their custody."

The spokesperson added that ICE "remains committed to transparency regarding detainee deaths" and said "this updated policy outlines procedures for timely notification, review and reporting of deaths occurring in ICE custody, including notifying next of kin, consulates, Congress and the public."

ICE has reported the deaths of 18 detainees in the first five months of this year, according to the Post, which has prompted human rights advocacy groups to pressure the agency "to improve medical care in its facilities."

The report added that the 18-person death toll is on pace to "surpass last year’s toll of at least 30 deaths, which was the highest number in two decades."

The US Congress has required ICE to report detainee deaths to the federal government since 2014 and publicly report all deaths since 2018, according to the Post, which added that "the rules are designed to ensure the government investigates and addresses potential problems that could have led to those deaths."