Trump Administration Deadlier for ICE Detainees Than COVID-19, New Data

(CALIFORNIA) The 2025 fiscal year has become the deadliest period for ICE detainees in more than twenty years, with a rising mortality rate that now surpasses the worst months of the COVID-19 pandemic. By September 29, when Huabing Xie died at the Imperial Regional Detention Facility in California, 23 deaths had been recorded in ICE custody for fiscal year 2025—the highest annual total since 2004. Days after the fiscal year closed, two additional deaths were reported, pushing the count even higher.

The stark numbers have turned attention to detention conditions across the United States and the speed at which deaths are being reported during President Trump’s second term. The surge stands out when compared with recent administrations: during the four years of the Biden administration, approximately 26 people died in ICE custody in total. In contrast, the Trump administration has recorded at least 20 deaths within the first nine months since President Trump took office again in January 2025—bringing the annual pace close to the previous four‑year total in less than a year.

Advocates and former officials describe the trend as a warning sign that systemic problems inside detention are deepening rather than easing.

Rising deaths and how they compare to the pandemic era

What makes the spike even more striking is how it compares to the pandemic’s peak.

• During fiscal year 2020, when COVID-19 strained every part of detention, the death rate reached 10.833 per 100,000 admissions.
• That number fell in later years: 3.251 in FY2021, 0.939 in FY2022, and 1.457 in FY2023.

The 2025 figures mark a reversal of that downward path and point to mortality levels that exceed the pandemic-era peak. Between 2018 and 2020, including the pandemic period, there were 38 total deaths in ICE custody. The pace in 2025 has already outstripped historical highs, underscoring that current conditions are not merely echoing a past crisis—they’re surpassing it.

Cardiac deaths and emergency response

An emerging pattern within the 2021–2023 period adds another layer: a growing share of deaths tied to cardiac events inside the facilities.

• Between FY2021 and FY2023, 36.3% of medical deaths were caused by cardiac arrest in detention centers.
• That share rose from 20.3% in FY2018–2020.

This increase raises questions about:

• On-site emergency training,
• Availability of defibrillators (AEDs) and oxygen,
• Speed of staff response when a detainee goes into distress.

Medical experts note that where a cardiac arrest occurs—inside a dorm or after transfer to a hospital—can reflect the strength of those first critical minutes of care.

Systemic factors and access to care

Multiple factors reported across the detention system point to stress points that can turn routine health issues into emergencies.

• Since 2017, 40 new detention facilities have opened, most run by private companies.
• As of January 2020, 81% of detained people were held in privately owned or operated facilities.
• That share jumps to 91% among facilities opened after 2017.

Rapid expansion has stretched oversight and made it harder to ensure consistent medical staffing, timely referrals, and strong infection control.

Reported failures inside facilities

Reports from inside facilities cite health failures that turn treatable problems into life‑threatening ones:

• People described waiting a week to set broken bones and being without basic medications like asthma inhalers.
• At least 2 of 5 facilities examined in a detailed review had no mental health professionals on staff.
• DHS Office of Inspector General documentation included people losing significant weight while “under medical monitoring,” and failures to transfer critically ill detainees to hospitals with life support capacity.

These conditions show up as missed diagnoses, delayed care, and avoidable rapid declines.

Sanitation and chronic disease risks

Living conditions add pressure:

• Reports of lacking soap for bathing and cleaning supplies for cells and bathrooms.
• Unsanitary spaces increase risks of gastrointestinal illness, skin infections, and respiratory problems—especially in crowded dorms with poor ventilation.

Consequences for people with chronic conditions:

• When a person with diabetes or asthma cannot clean their surroundings or access medications quickly, a manageable condition can worsen rapidly.

Mental health and suicides

Mental health is another major concern:

• Between 2017 and the period covered by one major report, 12 of 39 deaths in ICE custody were suicides.
• The data suggest high need for psychiatric care and a lack of on-site professionals.

In detention, depression, anxiety, and trauma symptoms often intensify—especially when people are separated from family and face long waits. Without steady counseling and suicide prevention protocols, risk grows.

Isolation, legal access, and counting concerns

Location and legal access affect health outcomes.

• Facilities opened under President Trump’s policies have, on average, one quarter the number of immigration attorneys within a 100‑mile radius compared to sites opened before 2017.
• More than 70% of people held in centers built under the Trump administration fall under the New Orleans field office, which denied 99.1% of parole requests for asylum seekers between March and December 2019.

Practical effects:

• Fewer chances to connect with counsel, challenge detention, or secure parole.
• Many people remain detained longer, increasing exposure to health risks in crowded settings.

Potential undercounting of deaths

There are signs the official death count may understate the true toll:

• Researchers identified cases where “medically complex” detainees were released shortly before death and therefore not included in ICE detainee death reports.
• When critically ill people are discharged days or hours before they die, official statistics may not reflect the health impact of detention conditions and delayed care.

The case of Huabing Xie and family concerns

The death of Huabing Xie at the Imperial Regional Detention Facility brings these threads together: a facility under pressure, ongoing questions about medical response, and a broader system where mortality is rising.

Families often struggle to get clear answers in the aftermath. Even basic information—timelines of care or transfer decisions—can take weeks to surface, leaving loved ones with more questions than closure.

“ICE says it tracks deaths in custody and posts reports,” but advocates say the information can be limited and slow to arrive.

For primary documents and updates, readers can consult the agency’s resource on deaths in custody at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Analysis and proposed fixes

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the sudden climb in the mortality rate reflects a combination of:

• Rising detention capacity,
• Heavier reliance on private operators,
• Gaps in medical staffing documented in prior government inspections but not fully addressed.

Immediate stakes:

• People detained today and local hospitals receiving emergency transfers face the consequences.
• If cardiac arrests are happening more often inside facilities, the first minutes of care matter even more: clear protocols, rapid 911 calls, working AEDs, oxygen, and trained staff.

Risk factors that compound the problem:

• Thin staffing → slower response times.
• Rural locations → longer ambulance travel times.
• Rapid expansion without matched oversight → small failures multiply.
• Reduced legal access → longer detention and increased health exposure.
• Insufficient hygiene supplies → infections spread.

Recommendations from advocates and former officials

Advocates and former officials recommend basic, practical steps:

1. Reliable medical triage.
2. Timely hospital transfers.
3. Steady mental health care.
4. Stronger sanitation and access to hygiene supplies.
5. Location decisions that don’t place people far from attorneys and major hospitals.

These measures aim to reduce avoidable deaths and reverse the 2025 trend that has already surpassed pandemic-era mortality levels. Whether the trend continues will depend on choices made now—inside facilities, at field offices, and in national detention policy.