How many people died in ICE custody in 2025 and where did those deaths occur?

1. The headline number: 30-plus deaths, often reported as 32

Multiple outlets and advocacy groups converged on the conclusion that more than 30 people died while under ICE custody in calendar year 2025, with The Guardian assembling a timeline that lists 32 deaths in custody ^[1], Reuters reporting that the year’s deaths reached the highest level since 2004 and noting a two‑decade high ^[2], and immigrant‑rights groups and congressional offices citing “at least 30” deaths as they pressed for investigations ^{[4] [3]}.

2. Why counts differ: agency tallies, hospital transfers and exclusions

Discrepancies in totals reflect differences in methodology: ICE posts a Detainee Death Reporting page and issues press releases for in‑custody deaths ^[5], but journalists and advocates note that some deaths—especially those that occur after transfer to outside hospitals, in transport, or where cause and custody status are contested—may not appear immediately or be classified the same way, leaving some lists (and the public narrative) with differing final counts ^{[6] [7]}.

3. Where the deaths occurred: detention centers, field offices, hospitals and during transport

Reporting shows deaths occurred across the spectrum of ICE custody settings: inside detention centers and processing facilities, in ICE field offices or isolation cells, during transport between jails and ICE facilities, and after detainees were transferred to outside hospitals while still under ICE custody ^{[1] [8] [2]}. Named facilities in reporting include North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin, Michigan (where Nenko Stanev Gantchev died) ^{[4] [6] [9]}; Moshannon Valley Correctional Facility in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania ^[3]; the Imperial Regional Detention Facility in Calexico, California ^[7]; the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia and Phoebe Sumter Hospital in Americus, Georgia ^[8]; Banner Desert Medical Center after detention at Eloy, Arizona ^[8]; and the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia (where a detainee died amid suspected drug‑withdrawal symptoms) ^[10].

4. Patterns and clusters: December surge and demographic notes

Several outlets observed a December spike — seven detainee deaths were reported in that month alone according to month‑end tallies — contributing to December being the deadliest month within an already lethal year ^{[6] [11]}. Reporting also highlighted nationality diversity among the deceased, with at least some of the December cases involving migrants from Haiti, Nicaragua, Eritrea and Bulgaria ^[2], and other reports noting deaths of Asian nationals, including Chinese, Vietnamese and Cambodian detainees ^{[12] [7] [10]}.

5. Competing narratives: ICE assurances versus advocates’ claims of neglect

ICE statements reiterated commitments to medical care and humane environments and publicized many individual death notices and investigations ^{[5] [1]}, while advocates, civil‑rights groups and some journalists argued that many of the deaths appeared preventable, linking them to inadequate medical care, delays in treatment, or systemic failures as detention populations grew under the administration ^{[1] [13] [3]}. Congressional offices and watchdogs called for greater transparency and investigations into whether standards of care were met ^{[4] [3]}.

6. What this reporting cannot fully resolve

Available public reporting does not produce a single, universally accepted, facility‑by‑facility master list that reconciles ICE’s official postings with every advocacy and media count; thus, while credible sources converge on “over 30” and some on 32 deaths in 2025, this account is necessarily constrained by differing inclusion rules, pending investigations, and delayed or incomplete agency disclosures ^{[1] [6]}.