ICE Confirms Another Death in Custody But Stands By Detention Conditions As ‘Safe and Humane’

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has confirmed the death of a 67-year-old Jordanian man in its custody, marking the third reported fatality in detention in the past three weeks. The agency, however, maintains that conditions in its facilities are “safe, secure, and humane.”

ICE said Hasan Ali Moh’d Saleh died on October 11 at Larkin Community Hospital in Miami, Florida, after suffering cardiac arrest. According to the agency, Saleh was taken to the hospital a day earlier due to a fever and was later admitted for treatment. Medical staff found him unresponsive the following evening and initiated CPR. He briefly regained a pulse before suffering another cardiac event and was pronounced dead at 7:13 p.m.

ICE noted, through a statement, that Saleh had a medical history of hypertension, heart disease, renal disease, and diabetes. He had been detained on September 14 in Pompano Beach, Florida, pending removal to Jordan. In its official statement, the agency said it had notified the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General, ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility, and the Jordanian Consulate, in line with protocol.

In defending its detention conditions, ICE reiterated that “comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment individuals arrive and throughout the entirety of their stay,” adding that “at no time during detention is a detained noncitizen denied emergent care.” The agency said detainees receive medical, dental, and mental health screenings within 12 hours of arrival and a full health assessment within 14 days.

Saleh’s death follows that of Leo Cruz-Silva, a 34-year-old Mexican national who died on October 4 in an apparent suicide at a Missouri jail under ICE contract. The Missouri State Highway Patrol is investigating that case. Earlier, on September 29, Huabing Xie, a 43-year-old Chinese national, died after suffering a seizure at the Imperial Regional Detention Facility in California.

Immigrant rights advocates say these incidents reflect systemic issues within ICE’s detention system. “This is not an isolated incident,” said Marina Arteaga of the Imperial Liberation Collaborative, who called for state and county investigations into Xie’s death.

The three recent fatalities add to at least 20 in-custody deaths reported by ICE during the 2025 fiscal year, according to data from the Detention Watch Network. Advocacy groups and lawmakers have repeatedly called for greater transparency in detention reporting, citing what they describe as persistent delays and lack of oversight in a system that now holds tens of thousands of detainees nationwide.