WASHINGTON, D.C.: Fifty people have died in U.S. immigration detention since President Donald Trump began his mass deportation campaign in January 2025, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) records.

From 2009 to 2024, there was about one death each year for every 3,848 detainees in immigration facilities, based on the average daily population, a Reuters review of ICE data found. That rate has now more than doubled since Trump returned to office, reaching roughly one death for every 1,630 detainees, based on early data up to June.

One case involved a Vietnamese man with heart problems who collapsed and died in the "Speedway Slammer," a former maximum-security prison in Indiana now used for immigration detention and seen as a symbol of the administration's crackdown.

In Pennsylvania, a Chinese detainee who had previously tried to take his own life was found hanging in a shower. In New York, a Honduran man suffering from a fast heart rate and alcohol withdrawal died in his cell without receiving emergency care.

The data reviewed by Reuters came from the Deportation Data Project through a public records request and was processed by the Vera Institute of Justice, a nonprofit group that supports reducing incarceration.

Experts say the causes of deaths in detention can be complex and are not always due to neglect or abuse. However, three specialists who examined ICE records and autopsy reports told Reuters that the rising death rate and other findings raise concerns about the level of supervision and medical care in detention centers, especially as the number of detainees has increased under Trump.

The number of detainees had already risen in the final year of President Joe Biden's administration, when enforcement increased during the election period. ICE was holding about 40,000 immigrants when Trump took office, up from around 14,000 in February 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under Trump, the number climbed to about 70,000 at its peak in January during a major crackdown in Minneapolis, then fell to around 57,000 by early June.

ICE records show that in 21 of the 50 deaths, the detainee was found already dead or unresponsive. These cases, including 10 suicides, are especially worrying because they may point to poor monitoring of physical and mental health and delays in care, said Sanjay Basu, a doctor at the University of California, San Francisco, who studies deaths in detention.

Heart attacks and other heart-related conditions caused 16 of the deaths, which experts say may indicate problems with initial health checks and the management of long-term illnesses.

Chanelle Diaz, a doctor at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, said the data suggest that authorities are detaining medically vulnerable people, leading to a "rise in preventable deaths." She added that detention centers are not designed to manage chronic health conditions, noting that at least two of those who died had dementia and did not pose a risk to the public.

The Department of Homeland Security did not provide detailed records of the deaths from the Trump era reviewed by Reuters, but said it is committed to maintaining a "safe, secure, and humane" environment in detention facilities.

It is difficult to fully understand the reasons behind the rising death rate because the reports on deaths in detention during the Trump administration provide limited details.

Michele Heisler, medical director at Physicians for Human Rights, pointed to the case of Santos Reyes Banegas, a Honduran man who died at Nassau County Correctional Center in New York last September. ICE reported that when he was admitted, a nurse noted signs of alcohol withdrawal.

Two hours later, a doctor confirmed the symptoms and prescribed medication, but the report did not say which drugs were given or whether they were actually administered. The next morning, he was found unresponsive in his cell and declared dead shortly after.

Another case involved Mohammad Paktiawal, who was detained by ICE on March 13 in a Dallas suburb while taking five of his six children to school. The same day, he was taken to a hospital with breathing problems and chest pain.

The next morning, hospital staff noticed his tongue was swollen and gave him allergy medication, but soon after, he had to begin life-saving efforts before he was pronounced dead.

Experts who reviewed the available ICE records said they did not find clear evidence that the agency's emergency responses were inadequate.