Was 2025 the ‘Deadliest Year’ for Immigrants in ICE Custody?

According to a 2025 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) report, a record-breaking 2.5 million unauthorized immigrants left the US between January 20 and December 10 last year. Around 1.9 million of these immigrants self-deported, while approximately 605,000 were deported by the Trump administration. 

2025 was also the deadliest year for immigrants in custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since 2004, as ICE reported 32 migrants died in its custody during the calendar year. 

Some journalists used the data to frame ICE in a negative light and suggest it had neglected detained migrants. Others focused on criticizing purportedly misleading media coverage of the numbers.

This came as President Donald Trump promised to increase scrutiny on immigration, following stricter guidelines on citizenship, deportations and entry. Immigration enforcement as a whole has received approximately $170 billion in extra funding through Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’.

Caveat: Timeline

At the risk of downplaying the numbers for 2025, it’s important to note that ICE was not created until 2003, making 2004 the first full calendar year of reporting deaths. As a result, while 2025 is a record-high for the agency, this context should be noted to avoid misinterpreting 2025 as potentially deadlier than years prior to 2003. 

Caveat: Historical Controversies/Data Inaccuracies

ICE has long – and as recently as just weeks ago – been accused of not disclosing death reports to the public frequently enough, leading to the DHS Appropriations Bill in 2018, which further mandated the agency to publicize all reports regarding in-custody deaths within 90 days of each death. 

Despite the mandate, ICE has faced further controversy over reports many immigration rights activists have deemed as “shams.” Meanwhile, immigration attorneys have described ICE’s reported tendency to release detainees without notice as “a complete disregard for their well-being,” which has, at times, led to some migrants never being found again. 

Additionally, anecdotal evidence indicates a different potential tendency of ICE to release detainees just before their deaths, which in turn results in their deaths not being recorded in official counts. The ACLU (Lean Left bias) sued ICE on the matter in 2022. Below are some reported anecdotes of such cases: 

• LA Times (Lean Left): “ICE rushed to release a sick woman, avoiding responsibility for her death. She isn’t alone”
• The New York Times (Lean Left): “Officials Hid Truth of Immigrant Deaths in Jail”

ICE maintains “One of the agency’s highest priorities is detained alien health care.” Adding, “Any death that occurs in ICE custody is a significant cause for concern. ICE prioritizes the health, safety and well-being of all aliens in its custody.”

Caveat: Report Methodology

Per ICE’s database: “The counting methodology for administrative arrests by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) was revised to align with ICE ERO reporting for 2016; for earlier years only one administrative arrest could be counted for the same person on the same day.”

As a result, the counts post-2016 may be higher by virtue of multiple counts of the same arrestees, not entirely as a result of increased scrutiny. This is important to keep in mind when viewing arrests, detainments, and deaths in relation to each other. 

RELATED: Tracking Trump's Controversial Deportations and Detainments

How Media Outlets Reported on 2025’s Immigrant Death Toll: 

The New Republic (Left bias) wrote, “December Was Deadliest Month in Deadliest Year in ICE Custody Deaths.” The article’s subheading noted that “there has been an alarming spike in immigrants dying while in ICE detention during the Trump administration,” an example of sensationalism.

Newsweek (Center) reported, “DHS Denies Spike in ICE Custody Deaths.” The outlet noted both the DHS’ claim that there is no “spike” in ICE custody deaths and its evidence that death rates in custody are merely 0.00007%; as well as concerns from activists and lawmakers alike that the 32 deaths in the 2025 calendar year are the highest recorded since 2004. 

Fox News (Right) wrote the sensational headline, “DHS fires back at Senate Dems over ICE detainee death claims: 'Trying to twist data'.” The outlet emphasized the perspective of the DHS, while discrediting the opposition as a partisan effort, an example of bias by viewpoint placement.

Data Discrepancies: 

While the final death count for all of 2025 topped off at 32, media outlets have not been consistent in their year-end coverage of the total count. Outlets typically sought to provide estimates or minimums to offset variable counts:

• Reuters (Center) wrote “At least 30 people have died in ICE detention this year…”
• The Washington Post (Lean Left) wrote: “At least 30 detainees have died in 2025…”
• ABC7 Chicago (Center) quotes Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez in noting “at least 30 deaths at ICE detention centers this year.”

Moreover, prior reports from research institutions are not exempt from miscounts. For example, the Cato Institute (Lean Right) wrote “21 people died in Immigration Detention in 2020.” This number is incorrect, as ICE data indicates that 17 detainees died in 2020, not 21. The four additional deaths are counting 2019 deaths into the 2020 year – why the formal report was filed under 2020 is unclear. 

Was 2025 the Deadliest Year for Immigrants?

It's complicated. 2025 was the deadliest year for immigrants in ICE custody since 2004, however that does not give a complete insight into immigrants as a whole. To reiterate, the data AllSides collected and analyzed is specifically on ICE detainments, not Border Patrol or other law enforcement agencies. Moreover, anecdotal evidence may be insufficient to draw conclusive statements on further death counts or the alleged intent of ICE, and was mainly provided above to capture all perspectives on the matter. It is crucial to keep track of all caveats in order to make the most-informed opinion on such a complicated issue.

Data Visualizations Provided by: Andrew Weinzierl, Bias Research Manager and Data Journalist (Lean Left bias)

Emanuel Macuixtle is a Policy Analyst and Research Assistant at AllSides. He has a Left bias.

Reviewed by: Henry A. Brechter, Editor-in-Chief (Center bias), Andy Gorel, News and Social Media Editor (Center bias), and Malayna Bizier, News Assistant (Right bias)