Twenty-nine people have died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody since October, the start of the federal fiscal year. That surpasses the previous record of 28 deaths in fiscal year 2004, according to government data compiled by NPR.

Why it matters: The record comes as the detained population has grown to nearly 70,000, the highest level in years. The rising death toll has drawn calls for independent investigations from lawmakers, advocacy groups and Mexico’s government.

The numbers

Detentions are up more than 70% compared to the first year of the Biden administration, driven by expanded immigration enforcement. At least 17 of the 29 deaths have occurred in calendar year 2026 alone.

ICE inspectors in February found 49 violations of detention standards at Camp East Montana, a facility in Billings. The violations included failure by staff to accurately document required checks meant to prevent significant self-harm and suicide.

The oversight gap

The Department of Homeland Security’s civil rights office, which investigates detention conditions, has lost hundreds of staff through cuts over the past year. Current employees told NPR that the gutting of the office could result in more deaths.

ICE has also reduced the amount of detail it makes publicly available about deaths in custody, according to NBC News, making independent tracking more difficult.

What critics say

Immigration advocates and legal representatives say the deaths reflect systemic problems: overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, delayed medical treatment and inadequate mental health support. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has called for a thorough review of conditions, condemning what she called a pattern of preventable deaths.

What the administration says

The Trump administration has defended its detention policies as necessary to enforce immigration law. ICE officials have said that expanding capacity takes time and that the agency is working to improve conditions at facilities that have grown rapidly.

What happens next

Several Democratic lawmakers have called for independent investigations into specific deaths. Others are pushing for legislation that would set minimum medical care standards for detention facilities and require regular independent inspections. No bills have reached a committee vote.