How many people have died in ICE custody?
Executive summary
Official and independent reporting converge on a grim short answer: at least 32 people died while in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in calendar year 2025, and multiple outlets reported several additional in-custody deaths in the first days of 2026 — at least four deaths in the first 10 days of January 2026 — though counts vary by source and definition of “in custody” [1] [2] [3].
1. The headline number and why it matters
Major news organizations and watchdogs reported that 2025 was the deadliest year for ICE detention in more than two decades, with The Guardian documenting 32 deaths in ICE custody in 2025 — a total that matched the previous record set in 2004 — and ICE-published tallies often cited slightly different totals depending on fiscal versus calendar year accounting [1] [4].
2. What happened in early 2026
Multiple outlets — Reuters, The Hill, KSL and advocacy groups — reported that four migrants died in ICE custody during the first 10 days of 2026, bringing immediate concern that the grim trend from 2025 was continuing into the new year [2] [5] [6] [3]. Some local and advocacy reporting suggested additional deaths were being tracked by non-government groups and that early January totals were still evolving [7] [3].
3. Why different sources report different totals
Discrepancies arise because ICE reports deaths by fiscal year and posts newsroom releases and formal detainee death reports, while independent trackers and journalists often compile calendar-year lists and include deaths that occurred after transfer to hospitals but while still under ICE custody; Statista notes that ICE definitions and reporting practices can yield lower counts than other compilations [8] [4]. Wikipedia’s running list and advocacy groups sometimes include cases omitted from formal ICE tallies, further widening the numbers reported [9] [3].
4. Known causes and patterns in the reported deaths
News coverage and ICE releases list causes ranging from medical events (heart failure, stroke, respiratory failure, tuberculosis) to suicide and alleged neglect, and reporting indicates many who died had preexisting health problems and limited prior care; families and lawyers in several cases have alleged inadequate medical attention while detained [10] [1] [8].
5. Allegations of undercounting and manipulation
Advocates and journalists have raised concerns that some deaths are effectively excluded from ICE tallies when individuals are transferred, released, or deported shortly before death; Wikipedia and watchdog reporting highlight claims that administrative steps can avoid the agency’s formal reporting requirements, and watchdogs warn that reduced inspections in 2025 coincided with the surge in deaths [9] [11].
6. The limits of available reporting and what cannot be asserted
Public records, ICE newsroom releases and third‑party compilations provide the basis for these counts, but inconsistencies in definitions (fiscal vs calendar year), timing (death in facility vs death in hospital while in custody), and potential gaps in oversight mean a precise, universally agreed single number for “how many people have died in ICE custody” across all timeframes and definitions cannot be produced from the sources provided; reporting only supports the specific claims cited above [8] [9].
7. Bottom line
Based on government releases, major news investigations and independent trackers: at least 32 people died in ICE custody in 2025, and at least four more deaths were reported in the first 10 days of 2026; additional discrepancies in counts reflect definitional differences, reporting lags and disputes raised by advocates and journalists about possible undercounting [1] [2] [3] [4] [11].