Durbin, Senate Democrats Sound Alarm On Dramatic Increase In Deaths In Immigration Detention

Durbin, Senate Democrats Sound Alarm On Dramatic Increase In Deaths In Immigration Detention

In letter to Noem and Lyons, Senate Democrats cite 30+ deaths since the start of the Trump Administration with concern over continued expansion of immigration detention

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led 22 Senate Democrats in sounding the alarm on the dramatic increase in deaths in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention, with over 30 deaths since the start of the Trump Administration.

In a letter to Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE senior official Todd Lyons, the Senators write: "Even as the country reels from the senseless deaths of Americans killed or grievously injured by federal agents in Minneapolis, Chicago, and Los Angeles, we have also been shocked to see the dramatic increase in deaths in immigration detention on your watch. Seven people died in the month of December 2025 alone, and six have died since the start of the new year. This rapidly increasing number of deaths is a clear byproduct of the Trump Administration's dangerous and poorly executed mass deportation agenda-one focused on detaining as many immigrants as possible, not just the 'worst of the worst,' for extended periods of time. We urge you to use the unprecedented resources at your disposal to reinvigorate your agency's detention oversight efforts, investigate these deaths, and provide those in your custody with adequate medical care."

The Senators then cited harrowing incidents of death in detention, including guards choking a man to death, an apparent suicide, and others.

The Senators continued: "Armed with an unprecedented and unjustified funding increase from the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act, ICE has dramatically expanded its detention capacity and now is holding approximately 73,000 people nationwide-many with no criminal history-while failing to release even the most vulnerable individuals. The Administration recently doubled down on its commitment to scale up detention, soliciting private companies to warehouse staggering numbers of immigrants in massive industrial facilities capable of housing up to 8,000 people at once. By comparison, the largest federal prison has approximately 4,000 inmates. New massive facilities-one near Phoenix cost $70 million and is the size of seven football fields-add to the rapidly expanding number of detention contracts held by private prison companies and local and county jails. ICE is even reopening facilities that previously were closed due to medical neglect and systemic understaffing."

The Senators then admonished the Administration for its irresponsibility, writing: "Though deaths in detention have occurred under every Administration, under your leadership, individuals are dying in shocking numbers. Rather than accepting responsibility for deaths in government custody and providing detailed facts about the circumstances of each death, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has attempted to smear deceased individuals' reputations by emphasizing details about their immigration status and their alleged wrongdoing in the United States."

The Senators cited repeated false claims by the Administration that ICE provides adequate detention conditions and medical care. They pointed to the agency's failure to pay third-party medical providers for months, continued contracting with medical service providers known for substandard care, and internal audits documenting violations of detention standards. They also referenced deaths of individuals with treatable diseases, interference by immigration agents in medical treatment, and an analysis of 911 calls demonstrating system overwhelmed by unmet medical needs and urgent care requests.

The Senators concluded, before making a series of information requests: "At a time when record numbers of people are dying in ICE custody, it is unacceptable that the agency continues to restrict congressional oversight of detention facilities, including by unlawfully requiring Members of Congress to alert ICE seven days prior to detention visits, a policy recently blocked by a federal court, and failing to provide mandated reporting with details about the deaths. Each death in ICE custody is a tragedy and, based on the evidence available from agency records, 911 calls, and medical experts, many could have been prevented if not for this Administration's decisions."

In addition to Durbin, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

For a PDF of the letter, click here.

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