Outrage Erupts as Young Mexican Migrant Dies in Florida Immigration Detention

A 19-year-old Mexican migrant, Royer Perez-Jimenez, was found dead in a Florida county jail designated for immigrant detention, as confirmed by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

On Monday, Perez-Jimenez's death was reported as a "presumed suicide," prompting an investigation. This incident marks the second death of an individual in ICE custody within the same week.

With this tragic event, the total fatalities in ICE custody has reached 46 since the beginning of the Trump administration, making Perez-Jimenez the youngest detainee to die during this period.

Earlier this week, another immigrant from Afghanistan, who had reportedly assisted US forces and was evacuated, also passed away in a Texas hospital following his detention. The Office of The District 21 Medical Examiner has yet to respond to requests for Perez-Jimenez's autopsy report. Inquiries directed to the Florida prosecutor’s office were referred to the US Department of Homeland Security and the US attorney general’s office.

The death of Perez-Jimenez has drawn sharp criticism from advocates within the immigrant community.

“The immigration detention system strips individuals of their freedom, isolates them from their families, and subjects them to deplorable conditions,” stated Carly Pérez Fernández, communications director at Detention Watch Network, a coalition opposing immigrant detention.

ICE reported that an officer discovered Perez-Jimenez “unconscious and unresponsive” at 2:34 a.m. on Monday at the Glades County Detention Center in Moore Haven. This facility was closed under President Biden's administration but reopened during Trump's tenure. Moore Haven is situated approximately 55 miles (88.5 kilometers) northeast of Fort Myers.

Upon finding him, officers immediately called for medical assistance, and staff began cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Medical personnel arrived shortly after and found Perez-Jimenez without a pulse before fire rescue deputies arrived to initiate life-sustaining measures.

He was pronounced dead at 2:51 a.m., just 17 minutes after being discovered.

Perez-Jimenez had been arrested on January 22 by sheriff's officers in Volusia County, facing charges of felony impersonation and resisting an officer, according to ICE. He was transferred to ICE custody a month later.

The Associated Press sought the arrest report for Royer Perez-Jimenez from the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, providing his full name and arrest date as listed in the ICE press release. However, the Sheriff’s Office indicated that a search of their records revealed no information on Perez-Jimenez.

Florida is known for its alignment with Trump-era immigration policies and is home to several notorious immigrant detention centers, including the South Florida Detention Facility, often referred to as Alligator Alcatraz, and Krome North Service Processing Center. Detainees have reported unsanitary conditions, including finding worms in their food and experiencing non-functioning toilets with overflowing sewage.

Prolonged detention has become increasingly common nationwide during Trump's current term, largely due to a policy that restricts immigration judges from releasing detainees while their deportation cases navigate through overwhelmed courts.