Deaths in ICE Custody Are Rising — And the Public Should Be Paying Attention
Three people died in ICE custody in just four days. Their deaths raise urgent questions about detention conditions, medical care, and government accountability.
In just four days, three human beings died while in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.
Three lives ended while under the direct control of the U.S. government.
Alberto Gutierrez Reyes — Feb. 27
Pejman Karshenas Najafabadi — Mar. 1
Emanuel Cleeford Damas — Mar. 2
These are not statistics.
They are human beings who were alive when the government took custody of them — and dead only days later.
Alberto Gutierrez Reyes — Feb. 27
Alberto Gutierrez Reyes, a 48-year-old detainee held in California, died on February 27 after reportedly experiencing severe medical symptoms while in custody.
Family members and advocates say he repeatedly sought medical help before his condition worsened.
When someone is detained, the government assumes responsibility for their safety and medical care. Cases like this raise urgent questions about whether that responsibility is being met.
Pejman Karshenas Najafabadi — Mar. 1
Pejman Karshenas Najafabadi died on March 1 while being held in ICE detention.
Details surrounding his death are still being examined, but his case adds to a growing number of detainee deaths that advocates say demand independent investigation and full transparency.
When people die in government custody, the public deserves clear answers.
Emanuel Cleeford Damas — Mar. 2
Emanuel Cleeford Damas was being held in ICE detention in Arizona when he died on March 2.
Reports indicate he suffered from a severe dental infection that allegedly went untreated before his condition became critical.
Medical neglect in detention facilities has been repeatedly cited by advocates and medical professionals reviewing ICE detention deaths.
A Pattern That Cannot Be Ignored
Three deaths in four days.
By March 9, at least 11 people had died in ICE custody in 2026.
People held in immigration detention are in government custody. When the state detains someone, it assumes responsibility for their safety, health care, and living conditions.
Deaths under those circumstances should be rare and thoroughly investigated.
Instead, they are becoming disturbingly frequent.
Behind every statistic is a human life — a family, a story, and a future that will never unfold.
When deaths in custody begin to cluster together, the issue stops being isolated tragedy and starts becoming something larger.
A system operating out of public view must still answer to the public.
Because when people die in detention, accountability cannot be optional.
Support the Work Demanding Accountability
Deaths in detention should never disappear quietly.
Documenting what happens inside ICE facilities, preserving records, and demanding transparency requires sustained investigative work.
Americans Against ICE exists to document detention abuses, preserve evidence, and push for public accountability when people die in government custody.
If you believe this work matters:
Upgrade to a paid subscription to support the reporting, documentation, and investigative work exposing abuses in ICE detention and demanding transparency for every death in custody.
Your support helps sustain:
• Documentation of deaths and abuses in ICE detention
• Investigative reporting into detention conditions
• Public records preservation and accountability tracking
• Continued reporting that ensures these cases are not forgotten
This work is not charity.
It is public accountability infrastructure.
And it exists to make sure the truth about detention — including deaths in custody — cannot be erased.
I am utterly shocked and horrified
That this is still going on.
When are they going to realize that they are STILL building those awful camps?!
They will full those things with all the humans
Who do not comply. 🤯🥺💔🤢
This is so very serious!
The U.S has been on a sharp decline into a brutally flagrant authoritarian state since 911. In fact when I look back at our lie of a history I see that we were never that nice of a country to anyone else or our own people. I WANT OUT before it gets worse. It's the new FALL OF ROME.