Human Rights Watch: United States: Deaths in ICE Custody Surge under Trump

Kevin R. Johnson

25 Jun 2026 — 1 min read

The rate of people dying in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody has reached the highest level in nearly two decades, with at least 52 deaths reported since the start of President Donald Trump’s current administration, Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights said in a report released today.

The 72-page report, “Dying in Detention: Rising Deaths in an Expanding Detention System,” documents the increasing number of deaths in ICE custody through expert statistical and medical analysis, exposing a rising mortality rate and serious questions about the adequacy of the health care provided by ICE and its contracted personnel. The increase in the mortality rate comes as the Trump administration is violently detaining and subjecting record numbers of immigrants to mandatory detention, including in inhuman and degrading conditions, while gutting internal oversight mechanisms.

Among the findings:

52 people died in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody during the first 500 days of President Trump’s second term, reflecting a soaring mortality rate.
ICE so severely limits the information it provides to Congress, families, and the public that oversight is nearly impossible.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Congress should act immediately to reduce the number of people in detention and to ensure access to adequate health care in line with the United States’ human rights obligations.

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