The recently concluded federal fiscal year has been recorded as the most fatal for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE): 37 individuals died while in the agency's custody between October 2025 and September 2026. This figure is nearly double that of the previous year, according to an investigation by Bloomberg Law released on the last day of the fiscal year.
The number surpasses the 33 deaths in fiscal year 2025—which was already the deadliest in over two decades—and triples the 11 deaths in 2024. This increase occurred during a massive expansion of the detention system under Trump’s second administration. Among the 37 deceased were at least four Cubans, whose cases have sparked criminal investigations, lawsuits, and public outcry.
The Case of Geraldo Lunas Campos
Geraldo Lunas Campos, aged 55, died on January 3, 2026, at Camp East Montana detention center located at Fort Bliss military base (El Paso, Texas). The county medical examiner ruled his death a homicide by asphyxiation, contradicting the Department of Homeland Security's version, which described the incident as an intervention to prevent self-harm.
Witnesses told the Associated Press that Lunas Campos, already handcuffed, was held down by at least five guards, one of whom strangled him with an arm around his neck while he repeatedly said, "I can't breathe."
He arrived in the United States in 1996 as a raft refugee and spent over two decades living in Rochester, New York. A father of four, he had an unexecuted deportation order since 2005 due to Cuba's refusal to issue necessary travel documents.
The FBI launched a criminal investigation into his case, confirmed in April 2026 by ICE's acting director before Congress. Lunas Campos' family also filed a civil lawsuit seeking over a million dollars against guards and companies associated with the facility.
Other Cuban Nationals Who Died
Denny Adán González, aged 33, was found dead on April 29 at the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia. His cellmate claimed it was "impossible" to commit suicide in the isolation cell where he was held. His mother echoed the anguish of many families: "The guards killed my son."
Aled Damien Carbonell-Betancourt, aged 27, died on April 12 at the Federal Detention Center in Miami, with ICE classifying it as a presumed suicide, though the cause is still under investigation.
The family of Cuban Juan Miguel Muñoz Peñalver, 21, filed a federal lawsuit against the Louisville government (Kentucky) following his death in February, classified as suicide due to acute dehydration-induced psychosis. "It's a dehydration death in a first-world country. How is this possible?" declared Jon Little, the family’s attorney, to the Courier Journal.
Collapse of Oversight Mechanisms
The rise in deaths coincides with the dismantling of key oversight mechanisms. The DHS's Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties shrank from over 100 employees to fewer than five. Additionally, the Detention Ombudsman’s Office was closed in May 2026 after Congress cut its funding.
Peter Mina, a former civil rights official with DHS, warned Bloomberg Law: "At this rate, standards will continue to decline because the goal is to increase the number of detainees."
Currently, the DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) is the only external body with inspection authority. In September, it published critical reports on three facilities: Krome North (Miami), where the use of chokeholds was documented; the facility known as Alligator Alcatraz, which closed in June 2026; and the Cibola Correctional Center in New Mexico.
Claire Trickler-McNulty, a former ICE and DHS official, cautioned that the OIG cannot replace the preventive role of the dismantled agencies: "Ideally, a layered oversight approach is best because each entity plays a different role."
The conditions in ICE detention centers and the deaths in custody remain a pressing issue. Visit our Immigration in the U.S. section to stay informed about immigration policies and their impacts.
Understanding the Crisis in ICE Detention Centers
What led to the increase in deaths in ICE custody in 2026?
The increase in deaths is attributed to the expansion of the detention system under the second Trump administration and the dismantling of oversight mechanisms that could have prevented such incidents.
Which oversight mechanisms were dismantled, and why is this significant?
The Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and the Detention Ombudsman's Office were significantly reduced or closed. This is significant because these organizations played crucial roles in maintaining standards and addressing grievances in detention facilities.
How have families of deceased detainees responded to these deaths?
Families have responded with lawsuits and public outcry, seeking justice and accountability for the deaths of their loved ones in ICE custody.