A 19-year-old Mexican national has become the youngest person to die in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody since President Donald Trump took office last year. Royer Perez-Jimenez was found unconscious and unresponsive in his room at the Glades County Detention Center in Moore Haven, Florida, on 16 March, according to an ICE press release.
The agency stated that his death is presumed a suicide, though the official cause remains under investigation. Perez-Jimenez had been arrested in Volusia County, Florida, on 22 January on charges of felony fraud for impersonation and misdemeanor resisting an officer. He was transferred to ICE custody on 21 February and moved to the Glades facility five days later.
At intake, Perez-Jimenez was evaluated by medical staff and denied any behavioural health issues, answering 'no' to all suicide screening questions. He first entered the United States on 19 February 2022, when he encountered US Border Patrol and returned to Mexico to avoid formal removal. He later re-entered the US without authorisation.
Perez-Jimenez's death is the 46th in ICE custody during Trump's second term, and at least 10 other people have died in ICE custody so far this year. A January report by advocacy groups, including the ACLU of Florida and the Detention Watch Network, highlighted troubling conditions at the Glades County Detention Center between 2008 and 2022, including toxic chemical sprays, a carbon monoxide leak, and pepper-spray used as punishment for requesting necessities.
