How many people died due to ICE in 2025
Executive summary
The most reliable count reported across major outlets and oversight groups is that 32 people died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody during 2025, making it the agency’s deadliest year in roughly two decades [1][2][3]. That figure is drawn from ICE death notices compiled by investigative reporting and watchdog groups, though contemporaneous Reuters tallies published in December 2025 sometimes cited “at least 30” as the year was still ending [4][5].
1. The tally: 32 deaths in ICE custody in 2025 — the consensus figure
Multiple investigative outlets and advocacy organizations report the same headline number: 32 people died while in ICE custody in 2025; The Guardian’s interactive list documented 32 deaths and described 2025 as the deadliest year since 2004 [1], the New York Times opinion and Project on Government Oversight likewise cite “at least 32” deaths [2][3], and reporting aggregators and human-rights outlets echo that count [6][7].
2. Why some reports showed lower counts earlier in the year
News wires such as Reuters published periodic tallies as deaths were reported, noting “at least 30” by mid-December 2025 and warning the year was not yet complete — a reason for earlier, lower counts [4][5]. ICE’s own press releases and piecemeal public notices accounted for individual cases throughout the year, and independent compilers updated totals as new deaths were announced [8][9].
3. Context: detention population, oversight and comparisons to previous years
Reporting ties the spike in deaths to a record-scale detention system — ICE held roughly 68,000–69,000 people in mid-December to early January, a large increase from 2024 — and notes oversight inspections fell as detentions rose; advocates argue those dynamics contributed to higher fatalities [1][3][10]. The 32 deaths are described repeatedly as the most since 2004, and nearly triple the number of deaths reported in 2024 by some monitors [1][3].
4. Causes, claims and contested narratives around specific deaths
Reporting indicates causes of death varied and, in several cases, are disputed: some were labeled by ICE as medical events or apparent suicides, others died after being transferred to hospitals, and families and lawyers have alleged neglect and lapses in care [1][8][9]. At least one death drew intense scrutiny and a medical examiner later deemed it a homicide, illustrating how official accounts and later findings can diverge [10].
5. Competing perspectives: agency statements vs. advocates
ICE and Department of Homeland Security spokespeople defended detention healthcare practices and characterized death rates as low or consistent with long‑term data, while advocacy groups and lawmakers called the number “truly staggering,” blamed overcrowding and failing oversight, and urged accountability [1][3][9]. Both positions are present in the record: officials assert systems of medical screening and emergent care are in place [1][6], and watchdogs point to the collapse of inspections and expanding detention capacity as risk factors [3].
6. Limits of reporting and what the number does — and doesn’t — show
The figure “32” reflects deaths reported while individuals were in ICE custody; it does not, by itself, adjudicate legal responsibility, full causes in every case, or systemic intent. Some outlets note post-incident investigations, autopsies or family claims are ongoing, and ICE’s public statements sometimes omit underlying data used to compute rate claims, so the count is reliable as a tally of reported in-custody deaths but limited in explaining causation or culpability without further official reports and independent autopsies [1][8][10].
7. What happened afterward and why the number matters
The 2025 death total galvanized congressional inquiries, proposed legislation to change detention practices, and sustained media and advocacy attention into early 2026 as additional deaths were reported, underscoring how a single-year spike in fatalities reshaped oversight debates and policy proposals [11][3][2].