52 Deaths in ICE Custody: Inside US Immigration Detention
At least 52 people have died in ICE custody since the current administration took office. Tens of thousands more are held in facilities where access to lawyers, food, sunlight, and medical care is severely limited. One woman in Arizona, detained for 16 months without proper cancer treatment, has reportedly lost more than 70 pounds and is vomiting blood.
What is happening inside immigration detention
More than 65,000 people are currently held in immigration detention across the United States — not because they committed a crime, but because of a civil immigration violation. Journalist and author John Washington, who has spent a decade covering border enforcement, describes conditions in many facilities as squalid, freezing, and dangerous. Detainees are routinely moved hundreds of miles from their families and attorneys. Reports from inside facilities describe 86 people crammed into a single small room, solitary confinement for tens of thousands, and in one Florida facility, a two-by-two-foot outdoor punishment cage.
Oversight of these facilities has been sharply reduced. Members of Congress have been turned away at the gates. ICE has stopped publishing basic data — data it is legally required to report — about who is detained and what happens to them. Washington argues that calling these places "detention centers" hides the reality of what they are, and that the word "camp" more accurately describes their function: concentrating and immobilizing people deemed unwanted by the government.
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Immigrant rights, appeals and protective measures
What the courts have said about immigration bond hearings
Last fall, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) — the highest administrative immigration court in the US — ruled that undocumented people who entered the country without inspection are not eligible for release on bond. That meant indefinite detention with no hearing. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals later ruled that people held under that mandatory detention law must receive a bond hearing within 90 days. That ruling does not guarantee release — it only guarantees the right to make your case for freedom every 90 days. The government is expected to appeal that decision.
What to do if you or someone you know is detained by ICE
- Ask for a bond hearing immediately. Under the Fifth Circuit ruling, people held under mandatory detention must get a bond hearing within 90 days. Ask your attorney or a legal aid organization to file for one as soon as possible.
- Contact an immigration lawyer or a nonprofit legal aid organization right away. Many organizations provide free or low-cost help to detained immigrants. Do not wait — access to attorneys inside facilities can be severely limited.
- If you are not yet detained, document your ties to the US: your job, your family, your home, your community. This evidence can support your case for release on bond at an immigration bond hearing.
- If a family member is detained and you cannot locate them, call the ICE detainee locator at 1-888-351-4024 or search online at the ICE detainee locator tool on the ICE website.
Related: our step-by-step guide — “Bond Hearing: How to Get Released”.
Fishkin Law Firm, New York
If someone you love is detained, the single most urgent step is getting an attorney involved before any paperwork is signed. Detainees who sign a 'voluntary departure' or 'stipulated removal' order often give up their right to an immigration court hearing entirely — and that right is very hard to recover. Under the Fifth Circuit's 90-day bond hearing rule, a lawyer can argue for release based on flight risk and danger factors, so gathering evidence of community ties, employment, and family relationships now can make a real difference. Consult a licensed immigration attorney as soon as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can ICE detain me even if I have never been convicted of a crime?
Yes. Immigration detention is a civil process, not a criminal one. ICE can detain you for a civil immigration violation — such as overstaying a visa or entering without inspection — even if you have no criminal record.
Do I have the right to a bond hearing if I am detained by ICE?
It depends on how you entered the US and your immigration history. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that people held under mandatory detention must receive a bond hearing within 90 days. However, the government is expected to appeal this ruling. An immigration attorney can tell you whether you qualify for a bond hearing and help you request one.
What happens at an immigration bond hearing?
An immigration judge decides whether to release you while your case continues, and at what cost (the bond amount). The judge looks at whether you are a flight risk or a danger to the community. Evidence of family ties, employment, and time in the US can help your case. You are not guaranteed release — the judge can deny bond entirely.
What should I do if I cannot find a detained family member?
Use the ICE Online Detainee Locator System on the ICE website, or call 1-888-351-4024. Once you locate them, contact an immigration lawyer or a nonprofit legal aid organization immediately to help with their case.