Eleven People Have Died in ICE Custody So Far in 2026, Agency Records Show

At least 11 immigrants have died while in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) between January and early March 2026, according to information released by the agency and compiled by Reuters.

The deaths follow 31 fatalities recorded in 2025, the highest annual number in nearly two decades. The cases involve detainees from several countries and occurred across multiple detention facilities and hospitals in the United States.

Several of the deaths were linked to medical emergencies while detainees were being held or receiving treatment, as Reuters explains. Pejman Karshenas Najafabadi, a 59-year-old Iranian national with a documented history of cardiac arrest and other medical conditions, died on March 1 at Merit Health Hospital in Mississippi after suffering cardiac arrest.

ICE said through a statement on March 6 that hospital staff attempted life-saving measures before he was pronounced dead. The agency added that he had been receiving hospital care since February 20.

Other detainees died after reporting symptoms such as chest pain or breathing problems. Emanuel Cleeford Damas, a Haitian national detained at the Florence Detention Center in Arizona, died on March 2 after being hospitalized with shortness of breath. Local officials cited by the Arizona Daily Star said he had complained of severe tooth pain for weeks before collapsing with an infection. "Nobody should die from a toothache," Chandler City Councilwoman Christine Ellis said at the time, calling for an investigation.

Additional deaths included Alberto Gutierrez Reyes, a 48-year-old Mexican national who died February 27 at a California medical center after reporting chest pain, and Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz, a 68-year-old Honduran national who died January 6 after being hospitalized with similar symptoms. Luis Gustavo Nunez Caceres, a Honduran national, died January 5 following medical emergencies related to congestive heart failure.

Some cases remain under investigation or involved detainees found unresponsive. Lorth Sim, a Cambodian national, was found unresponsive in his cell at a detention facility in Indiana in February, while in Florida, Jairo Garcia Hernandez, a 27-year-old Guatemalan national described by ICE as immunocompromised, died after collapsing at a hospital in Miami.

Authorities also reported suspected suicides, including those of Victor Manuel Diaz, a Nicaraguan national, and Heber Sanchaz Domínguez, a Mexican national who was found hanging in his sleeping quarters in Georgia.

The deaths have drawn renewed scrutiny from lawmakers, advocates and foreign governments. Mexico's foreign ministry said in early March it would formally request an investigation into the "systemic conditions" surrounding the death of a Mexican national in ICE custody, while some officials have raised concerns about medical care and detention conditions.