ICE Sued for Autopsies as Custody Death Count Mounts
Summary
A government watchdog group sued U.S. immigration agencies to get records about deaths in immigration custody after the number of deaths increased since President Donald Trump took office. The group says the agencies did not respond to requests for autopsy reports and internal reviews, which are required by law.Key Facts
- The lawsuit was filed by American Oversight, a nonprofit promoting government transparency.
- It targets ICE, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
- Since January 2025, 51 people have died in ICE custody, the highest number since 2004.
- ICE held over 60,000 detainees as of April 2026, up from about 40,000 before President Trump returned to office.
- American Oversight filed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for records on these deaths in April 2026 but received no response within the legally required timeframe.
- The lawsuit asks the court to force the agencies to release autopsy reports, toxicology results, internal reviews, and investigations related to detainee deaths.
- ICE now publishes shorter summaries of deaths instead of detailed reports, making it harder to understand each case.
- There are ongoing allegations against ICE and CBP, including medical neglect and excessive force in detention centers.
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