El Ciudadano
Original article: EEUU: Reportan drástico aumento de muertes bajo custodia del ICE durante el Gobierno de Trump
The rate of deaths among individuals in the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has significantly increased since the beginning of the Trump administration, according to a report released this week by Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Physicians for Human Rights.
The 73-page report titled Dying in Detention: Rising Deaths in an Expanding U.S. Immigration Detention System states that at least 52 individuals have died, a figure documented through specialized statistical and medical analysis.
«The increase in mortality occurs at a time when the Trump administration is subjecting a record number of immigrants to mandatory detention, often in inhumane and degrading conditions, while dismantling internal oversight mechanisms,» HRW indicated in a press release.
Brian Root, Senior Advisor on Technology and Human Rights for the organization, emphasized that «people are dying in ICE custody at the highest recorded rate in years, even considering the rise in the number of detentions.»
Root argued that «the Department of Homeland Security and Congress should act immediately to reduce the number of people detained and fundamentally reform detention conditions, ensuring access to adequate medical care in accordance with U.S. human rights obligations.»
Case Examples
Human Rights Watch conducted a quantitative analysis of deaths in ICE custody between October 1, 2015, and June 4, 2026, tracking the evolution of the mortality rate over time.
On the other hand, Physicians for Human Rights performed a medical analysis of the 39 deaths that occurred in ICE custody during the first year of the current Trump administration, using the limited publicly available information.
The organizations also examined several cases in greater depth, conducting interviews with family members, lawyers, and former cellmates of the deceased. In two instances, they reviewed additional medical histories.
In one case, Maksym Chernyak, a 44-year-old Ukrainian man, suffered a stroke after displaying clear signs of a medical emergency witnessed by detention center staff, who failed to act accordingly. The resulting delays in his transfer to a facility with specialized care likely contributed to his death, the organizations concluded.
In another case, 32-year-old Lorenzo Antonio Batrez Vargas died in ICE custody in 2025 after being diagnosed with Covid-19 and spending 12 days in isolation. To obtain records related to his detention, treatment, and death, Vargas’s family filed a request for information in October 2025 and later a lawsuit in December. As of early May 2026, they had yet to receive any additional information.
The report documents that during the first year of Trump’s second term, the number of individuals detained by ICE increased by 77%, from approximately 40,000 to over 71,000. At the same time, the mortality rate in ICE custody increased by 140%.
«Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights have documented abusive conditions in U.S. immigration detention facilities since the 1990s,» the investigation reminds, questioning whether the current Trump administration has «dismantled the already limited internal oversight mechanisms of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the agency under which ICE operates, further hindering access to information, seeking accountability for abuses, and ensuring accountability for the agency and its contractors.»
«ICE does not disclose sufficient information regarding the circumstances surrounding deaths in its custody, leaving fundamental questions unanswered about the care received by detainees and whether it met international human rights standards,» warned the international organization.
Read the full report HERE
We will continue to provide updates.
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