An Associated Press investigation has found a dramatic increase in suicides among detainees held by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), with at least 10 men taking their own lives since January 2025. The pace far exceeds the growth in the detainee population, according to a review of ICE data, autopsy reports, coroners' rulings and police records.
Since October, seven deaths have been classified as suicides, already the highest number for any fiscal year in the agency's history. ICE usually records one or no such deaths annually. Nine of the victims were Hispanic men from four countries; one was a Chinese citizen. Their average age was 32. Seven had no record of violent crimes in the US.
Experts say the unprecedented number of suicide deaths indicates authorities are failing to properly oversee the detention of tens of thousands of immigrants swept up in the Trump administration's aggressive deportation strategy. Dr Sanjay Basu, an epidemiologist at the University of California-San Francisco, described it as 'one of those alarming, sudden increases'.
The investigation found that ICE detention centres have repeatedly fallen short of the agency's own standards. Staff ignored signs of distress, delayed mental health treatment, failed to monitor detainees deemed at risk, and allowed access to materials that could be used for self-harm. In some cases, distressed detainees were placed in isolation, which can exacerbate feelings of humiliation and helplessness.
In response, the Department of Homeland Security acting assistant secretary Lauren Bis said suicide deaths in ICE custody remained 'extremely rare' and that staff follow protocols to protect detainees. The Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, called for a formal protest over the death of Brayan Rayo Garzón, a Colombian who died by suicide in April 2025 after being denied a phone call to his mother while in isolation with Covid.
