52 Deaths in ICE Custody Since Trump’s Return: A Shocking Surge

Fifty-two people have died in ICE custody since President Donald Trump returned to office, a shocking statistic that highlights a dramatic increase in mortality rates.

A report from Human Rights Watch reveals that this grim tally occurred between January 20, 2025, and June 4, 2026.

The report states, “The mortality rate of deaths in ICE custody is at its highest level in over a decade and has more than doubled since Trump’s second term began.” The current rate is nearly four times that of the Biden administration and more than two and a half times higher than during Trump’s first term.

The Trump administration has vehemently rejected these findings.

Individual cases within the report paint a harrowing picture. Maksym Chernyak, a 44-year-old from Ukraine, suffered a stroke while detained. Despite exhibiting “clear signs of an emergency,” staff failed to provide timely medical care, leading to his death, according to the analysis.

Another case involved Ismael Ayala-Uribe, a 39-year-old from Mexico, who reportedly died from cardiac arrest after “repeated attempts” to receive medical attention were “mishandled.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security claimed, “There has been NO spike in deaths.”

The spokesperson added, “Consistent with data over the last decade, as of May 29, death rates in custody under the Trump administration are 0.008% of the detained population.” They asserted that as bed space expanded rapidly, they maintained a higher standard of care than most prisons housing U.S. citizens, claiming that for many undocumented immigrants, this is the best healthcare they have received in their lives.

Since Trump’s return to office, he has enforced a nationwide immigration crackdown, deploying federal agents to detain and deport immigrants across the country, including in Democratic-led cities. This aggressive approach has pushed the number of detainees to an all-time high of over 71,000 in January, according to Human Rights Watch.

In January, federal agents were dispatched to Minneapolis, Minnesota, which became a focal point for the crackdown and resulted in tense confrontations between law enforcement and protestors. During this surge, two American citizens were shot and killed by agents.

A Marist poll conducted the following month revealed that 65 percent of Americans believe ICE has “gone too far” in enforcing immigration laws. Sixty-two percent expressed that the agency is making Americans “less safe.”

Since Trump’s inauguration, the Department of Homeland Security’s internal watchdog has initiated multiple investigations into ICE’s actions.