A teenager held at a US immigration detention facility in Florida has died, marking the youngest fatality in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody since Donald Trump assumed office last year. Royer Perez-Jimenez, a 19-year-old from Mexico, was found "unconscious and unresponsive" in his room on March 16 at the Glades County detention center in Moore Haven, Florida, according to an ICE press release.
Investigation into Presumed Suicide
The notification states that Perez-Jimenez died of a presumed suicide, though the official cause remains under investigation. He was arrested by authorities in Volusia County, Florida, on January 22 and faced charges including felony fraud for impersonation and misdemeanor resisting an officer. ICE took him into custody on February 21, and he was transferred to the Moore Haven facility five days later.
Medical Screening and Background
At intake, Perez-Jimenez was evaluated by medical staff and denied any behavioral health issues or concerns, answering "no" to all suicide screening questions. He initially arrived in the United States on February 19, 2022, encountering US border patrol and returning to Mexico to avoid official removal before re-entering without formal approval.
Rising Death Toll in ICE Custody
This incident adds to a grim tally, with at least 10 other individuals having died in ICE custody so far this year. The list includes:
- Victor Manuel Díaz, 36
- Heber Sanchez Domínguez, 34
- Luis Beltrán Yanez–Cruz, 68
- Luis Gustavo Núñez Caceres, 42
- Jairo Garcia-Hernandez, 27
- Lorth Sim, 59
- Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal, 41
- Emanuel Cleeford Damas, 56
- Pejman Karshenas Najafabadi, 59
- Alberto Gutiérrez Reyes, 48
Report Highlights Troubling Conditions
A January report by advocacy groups, including the ACLU of Florida and the Detention Watch Network, revealed alarming conditions at the Glades County detention center from 2008 to 2022. Emma Shaw Crane, lead author and assistant professor of anthropology at Stanford University, noted that detained individuals faced hazards such as toxic antimicrobial sprays, carbon monoxide leaks, and pepper-spraying as punishment for requesting basic necessities like water and toilet paper.
These conditions reportedly made the air unbreathable and collectively punished detainees. The findings underscore ongoing concerns about safety and treatment within immigration detention facilities under the current administration.
