How many people have died by the hands of ICE in 2026

1. What the tally looks like right now: the “at least six” baseline

Multiple mainstream outlets and aggregators report a minimum of six custody deaths in ICE facilities since January 1, 2026, with Reuters summarizing agency statements and other public records to conclude “at least six people have died in ICE detention centers since the start of 2026” and Wikipedia’s live list similarly noting six disclosed deaths as of January 25, 2026 ^[1][3].

2. Why other reports said “four” — and how that fits

In the first 10 days of 2026 several news organizations and ICE press releases documented four deaths in custody — including migrants who died at Camp East Montana (Fort Bliss), Philadelphia, Imperial Regional (California) and another facility — a tally reported by Reuters, The Hill and advocacy groups in early January ^[2][5][6]. That figure accurately reflected the early-month disclosures but was later supplemented by additional reported deaths and reclassifications, producing the higher “at least six” total in later reporting ^[1][3].

3. The reporting gap: classifications, timing and investigations that change the count

Counting deaths “by the hands of ICE” is made imprecise by formal definitions and evolving probes: ICE and DHS publish detainee-death reports and say deaths are investigated under established protocols, but medical examiners, prosecutors and watchdogs sometimes rule causes such as homicide, suicide, withdrawal or natural causes — and those determinations can alter public characterizations of responsibility ^[4][7][1]. For example, one death at Camp East Montana was later reported by the El Paso medical examiner as a homicide due to asphyxia, prompting new statements and scrutiny beyond an initial agency description ^[1][8].

4. The larger context: 2025’s record year and why 2026’s early pace matters

The 2026 deaths came on the heels of an exceptionally deadly 2025 in ICE custody — which news outlets and watchdogs documented as roughly 30–32 deaths, the highest in more than two decades — an important backdrop because detention population growth and policy changes under the current administration are central to why advocates and U.N. officials have flagged rising mortality and inhumane conditions ^[9][1][10]. Advocacy groups and detention monitors framed the early January fatalities as evidence the surge in detentions and facility crowding can have lethal consequences, a position echoed in multiple reports ^[6][11].

5. What cannot be concluded from the sources provided

The assembled reporting establishes a minimum, not a closed count: sources show “at least six” disclosed deaths in ICE custody in 2026 as of late January, but they do not provide a finalized, comprehensive roll-up that eliminates later additions, reclassifications (e.g., Border Patrol vs ICE custody), or deaths connected to enforcement actions outside detention centers ^[1][3][2]. The public record cited here does not settle questions of legal culpability, systemic responsibility, or whether additional, unreported deaths exist; those remain subject to agency disclosures, medical examiners’ findings and ongoing oversight ^[4][1].

6. Bottom line for readers and investigators

Based on contemporaneous reporting and public lists, the most defensible, evidence-based statement is that at least six people have died in ICE custody in 2026 to date, with earlier reports of four deaths reflecting initial disclosures and subsequent updates raising the total; further adjustments are possible as investigations and official reporting continue ^[1][2][3].