How many people were killed in ice custody?

1. The headline number: “at least 20” — and why other tallies say more

National outlets including NPR and Newsweek report “at least 20” deaths in ICE custody in 2025, a total those outlets describe as the deadliest year since the early 2000s ^{[1] [2]}. Local and advocacy reporting has pushed the publicly acknowledged total higher: the American Immigration Council and the Los Angeles Times cite 23–25 deaths, and some congressional letters and local press list specific death reports that together yield mid‑20s counts ^{[4] [3] [6]}. The variance reflects timing (when ICE formally posts a detainee death report), differences between official ICE tallies and journalists’ aggregations, and additional deaths reported by local hospitals or advocates but not immediately reflected in ICE’s public list ^{[2] [6]}.

2. How this compares to recent years and historical peaks

Multiple reports emphasize that 2025 is the deadliest year for people in ICE custody in decades, noting a spike not seen since 2004 (when 32 deaths were recorded). NPR and public radio partners underscore that at least 20 deaths in 2025 surpass totals from recent years and mark a significant uptick ^{[1] [7]}. Advocacy groups and local outlets also point out that this level of fatalities outstrips most years since ICE began routinely publishing detainee death reports in 2018 ^{[8] [9]}.

3. Size of the detained population and operational context

Reporting ties the higher death toll to a dramatic rise in the detained population: coverage notes ICE averaged about 60,000 detainees per month in 2025 — far above typical recent levels of 18,000–30,000 per month — which activists and some reporters say strains medical staffing and oversight and could contribute to more deaths ^{[5] [1]}. NPR and other outlets flag cuts in internal oversight offices and staffing pressures at medical and inspection units as part of the operational backdrop ^[1].

4. Causes and patterns cited in reporting

News coverage and analyses cite a range of causes cited in death reports and local investigations: medical conditions including strokes, respiratory failure, tuberculosis, seizures, and several cases identified as apparent suicides are mentioned across reporting ^{[1] [10]}. The ACLU and other advocates have previously argued that many deaths in detention were preventable with adequate medical care, drawing on multi‑year reviews ^[11]. Local investigations and family accounts reported by outlets such as the Los Angeles Times allege failures in timely medical intervention in specific cases ^{[3] [12]}.

5. Official processes, reporting rules, and disputes over transparency

ICE’s published policy requires timely notification and public posting of detainee death reports, and the agency says it follows multilayered review procedures; congressional reporting rules also obligate release of details within set timeframes ^[13]. Still, lawmakers and critics say ICE’s public count and timeliness are insufficient; congressional letters and local lawmakers demand fuller information and quicker explanations after each death ^{[6] [12]}.

6. Competing viewpoints: safety claims vs. calls for accountability

ICE and DHS assert that detention facilities provide required medical screenings and emergency care, and that deaths are reviewed through internal and interagency channels ^[13]. Contrastingly, advocates, some members of Congress, and reporting from outlets like The Guardian and the Los Angeles Times present a competing narrative that overcrowding, staffing cuts, inadequate medical care, and worsening detention conditions are driving the spike in fatalities and require corrective action ^{[9] [3] [11]}.

7. What’s missing or remains unsettled in current reporting

Available sources document counts, case examples, and systemic critiques, but do not provide a single definitive, contemporaneous tally that reconciles ICE’s formal public reports with all local and advocacy claims — hence the range from “at least 20” to the mid‑20s ^{[1] [3] [4]}. Available sources do not mention a finalized, reconciled dataset that explains every discrepancy between ICE posts and independent counts ^{[2] [6]}.

Conclusion — what to watch next

Expect counts to shift as ICE issues formal detainee death reports, as local investigations and congressional inquiries proceed, and as advocacy groups compile updated tallies; for now, mainstream and local reporting consistently describe 2025 as an unusually deadly year in ICE custody and link the trend to larger detention populations, questions about medical care, and oversight shortfalls ^{[1] [5] [3]}.