ICE Custody Deaths in FY2026 Hit 29 — Break 22-Year Record

ICE released delayed 90-day death reports for four detainees on April 18, bringing the fiscal year 2026 total to 29 deaths — surpassing the previous record of 28 set in 2004. The calendar year 2026 total reached 17. The most recent death was Aled Damien Carbonell-Betancourt, a 27-year-old Cuban national found unresponsive at a Miami federal detention center, presumed suicide. ICE had failed to meet the 90-day congressional reporting deadline for four deaths: Victor Manuel Diaz, Heber Sanchez Dominguez, Parady La, and Luis Nunez Caceres. Acting Director Todd Lyons attributed the record to historically high detention numbers. Physicians and advocates attribute the deaths to overcrowding, inadequate medical staffing at rapidly expanded facilities, and ICE's October 2025 decision to stop paying for third-party medical care. Only 15 of 49 deaths since January 2025 received interim notices within the required 48-hour window.