In the first fifteen days of 2026, five deaths in ICE custody have occurred, putting the agency on track to potentially reach a record-breaking 120 deaths by the year’s end. This alarming rate follows a grim 2025 where at least 30 deaths were recorded. Advocacy groups are calling for a thorough investigation into the deaths, especially considering the rapid expansion of the detention system under the current administration. Critics suggest a focus on mass detention is occurring to pressure migrants rather than targeting serious public-safety threats.
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Geraldo Lunas Campos, a Cuban immigrant, died in a Texas immigration detention facility following an altercation with guards, and the medical examiner has indicated the death will likely be classified as a homicide. While the government claims he attempted suicide, a witness stated that Campos was handcuffed, tackled, and placed in a chokehold before losing consciousness. The incident occurred at Camp Montana East, a facility built on an Army base and operated by a private contractor, and is currently under investigation. Campos’s family disputes the government’s account and seeks justice, highlighting conflicting narratives and concerns about conditions in immigration detention.
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A New York City Council employee was detained by federal immigration agents during a routine appointment, prompting outrage from city officials. The employee, who is legally authorized to be in the U.S., was taken into custody with no stated basis for the detainment, according to the city council. The incident follows a pattern of targeted immigration enforcement actions, including those at mandatory check-ins, which critics condemn as discouraging legal compliance. This action comes as ICE operations are being ramped up, and amidst broader protests against ICE tactics, including a lawsuit filed by Minnesota’s attorney general against the federal government.
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The Trump administration secretly reinstated a policy restricting congressional access to immigration detention facilities just one day after an ICE officer fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis, according to attorneys for several Democratic lawmakers. These lawmakers were blocked from visiting an ICE facility near Minneapolis, prompting their lawyers to request an emergency hearing before U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb, who previously blocked ICE from enforcing similar policies. The lawyers argue that the reinstated seven-day notice requirement violates Cobb’s prior order and is particularly urgent due to ongoing negotiations over funding for the Department of Homeland Security and ICE. Cobb has scheduled a hearing on the matter for Wednesday.
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In December 2024, Randall Gamboa Esquivel, a Costa Rican man, was detained by US authorities after crossing the border and was held at detention centers in Texas. After nearly 10 months, in September 2025, he was deported to Costa Rica in a vegetative state and died shortly after. Medical records show Gamboa was hospitalized with “altered mental status” and a series of other conditions, including sepsis and rhabdomyolysis, while in custody. Gamboa’s family is now seeking answers about his health deterioration while under US Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) custody, as well as the cause of his death, as they question why he was not given proper care.
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The Trump administration is soliciting contractors to revamp the U.S. immigrant detention system. This plan involves renovating industrial warehouses to accommodate over 80,000 detainees. The draft solicitation suggests a significant expansion of detention capacity. Further details regarding the specific locations and scope of the renovations are anticipated.
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ICE is planning to repurpose industrial warehouses across the country to detain thousands of immigrants at a time. A draft document revealed that the agency intends to convert these warehouses into large-scale detention centers capable of holding up to 10,000 people each. The proposal includes provisions for housing units, medical facilities, and recreation areas, with the goal of expediting deportations. Critics have raised concerns, emphasizing that these plans are dehumanizing, likening the process to warehousing individuals, and creating facilities similar to concentration camps.
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Four died in ICE custody this week as 2025 deaths reach a 20-year high, a stark reality that demands immediate attention and raises profound questions about the treatment of those detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The sheer number, four deaths in a single week, is shocking and points to a crisis within the agency, especially when considering the larger context of this being a 20-year high. The circumstances surrounding these deaths must be thoroughly investigated, and the public deserves answers.
The conditions under which people are being detained are a cause for serious concern. Descriptions of the facilities paint a grim picture, and the lack of transparency surrounding ICE operations fuels a sense of distrust.… Continue reading
A 22-year-old Maryland-born U.S. citizen, Dulce Consuelo Diaz Morales, is currently in immigration detention despite possessing a birth certificate and other documentation, which ICE claims are not authentic. After being apprehended with her sister, Morales was transferred to Louisiana after an order was made enjoining ICE from removing her from the United States. Morales’ attorneys have stated that ICE has denied the authenticity of her birth certificate and other records, and despite legal efforts, she has not yet been able to speak with her legal team, though a virtual appointment has been scheduled. ICE claims Morales is an illegal alien, and maintains she did not provide a U.S. birth certificate, while her attorneys insist the provided documentation, including a birth certificate, proves her U.S. citizenship.
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The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation faces significant backlash from other Native Americans following the revelation of a nearly $30 million federal contract awarded to a tribal business entity for the design of immigrant detention centers. Critics condemn the tribe’s actions, citing historical parallels to their own forced removal and detention by the U.S. government. Tribal leaders are now seeking ways to end the contract and have fired the economic development leaders involved. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) dealings with tribes are facing increased scrutiny, especially as federal funding decreases, pressuring tribes to generate revenue.
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John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood
ICE Detainee Died by Homicide, Autopsy Shows, Contradicting Agency’s Suicide Claim
Geraldo Lunas Campos, a Cuban immigrant, died in a Texas immigration detention facility following an altercation with guards, and the medical examiner has indicated the death will likely be classified as a homicide. While the government claims he attempted suicide, a witness stated that Campos was handcuffed, tackled, and placed in a chokehold before losing consciousness. The incident occurred at Camp Montana East, a facility built on an Army base and operated by a private contractor, and is currently under investigation. Campos’s family disputes the government’s account and seeks justice, highlighting conflicting narratives and concerns about conditions in immigration detention.
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