---¶
2025 Deaths in ICE Detention¶
31 Deaths — The Highest Since 2004¶
Record Year
31 people died in ICE detention in 2025 — the most since the agency began tracking deaths in 2004. December alone saw 7 deaths, including 4 in just 4 days.
December 2025 — The Deadliest Month¶
7 deaths in 31 days. See full analysis →
| # | Name | Age | Country | Date | Location | Key Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Francisco Gaspar-Andres | 48 | Guatemala | Dec 3 | El Paso, TX | 54-day delay in care, sepsis |
| 2 | Pete Sumalo Montejo | 72 | Philippines | Dec 5 | Harlingen, TX | LPR since 1962, 284 days custody |
| 3 | Shiraz Fatehali Sachwani | 48 | Pakistan | Dec 6 | Fort Worth, TX | Kidney/liver/respiratory failure |
| 4 | Jean Wilson Brutus | 41 | Haiti | Dec 12 | Newark, NJ | Dead within 24 hours of transfer |
| 5 | Fouad Saeed Abdulkadir | 46 | Eritrea | Dec 14 | Philipsburg, PA | Filed medical neglect lawsuit 3 days before death |
| 6 | Nenko Stanev Gantchev | 56 | Bulgaria | Dec 15 | Baldwin, MI | Denied echocardiogram, untreated diabetes |
| 7 | Delvin Francisco Rodriguez | 39 | Nicaragua | Dec 15 | Natchez, MS | Unexplained cardiac arrest |
January - November 2025¶
Detention Deaths — Fully Documented (13 dossiers)¶
| # | Name | Age | Country | Date | Key Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genry Ruiz Guillen | 29 | Honduras | Jan 23 | ICE admits protocols violated, rhabdomyolysis |
| 2 | Serawit Gezahegn Dejene | 45 | Ethiopia | Jan 29 | HIV/TB undiagnosed 4 months |
| 3 | Maksym Chernyak | 44 | Ukraine | Feb 20 | 40-min 911 delay during stroke |
| 4 | Brayan Garzon Rayo | 22 | Colombia | Mar 11 | Youngest 2025 death |
| 5 | Santos Banegas Reyes | 61 | Honduras | Mar 17 | Died at hospital after ICE transfer |
| 6 | Isaias Sanchez Barboza | 59 | Mexico | Mar 31 | GEO Group facility |
| 7 | Keith Porter | 54 | Jamaica | Apr 16 | CoreCivic facility |
| 8 | Ismael Ayala-Uribe | 55 | Mexico | May 3 | Medical neglect |
| 9 | Gabriel Garcia Aviles | 62 | Nicaragua | Jun 18 | Florida cluster |
| 10 | Silverio Villegas Gonzalez | 53 | Honduras | Jul 5 | Medical neglect |
| 11 | Juan Alexis Tineo Martinez | 34 | DR | Aug 5 | Young detainee death |
| 12 | Abelardo Avellaneda Delgado | 63 | Cuba | Aug 21 | Elderly detainee |
| 13 | Chaofeng Ge | 43 | China | Sep 22 | Chinese national in detention |
In Research Queue (remaining 2025 deaths)¶
Documentation in progress for additional victims identified through source reporting. Research continues via weekly geographic sweep and targeted investigation.
2025 Pattern Analysis¶
By Cause of Death¶
- Medical neglect / chronic conditions: ~60% of deaths
- Cardiac events: ~20%
- "Suicide": 3 deaths (10%)
- Shooting by agents: 1 (Raymond Mattia)
- Other/unknown: ~10%
By Facility Operator¶
- GEO Group (for-profit): Multiple deaths across facilities
- CoreCivic (for-profit): Multiple deaths
- County jails (ICE contract): Multiple deaths
- Federal facilities: Multiple deaths
For-Profit Facilities Are Deadlier
Facilities operated by for-profit corporations (GEO Group, CoreCivic) consistently appear in death records at disproportionate rates. These companies earn billions from federal detention contracts while cutting costs on medical staff.
Follow the Money
GEO Group and CoreCivic are publicly traded corporations profiting from detention. Track their contracts, lobbying, and facility conditions on the infrastructure overview.
By State¶
- Florida: ~50% of 2025 detention deaths
- Texas: Multiple deaths (including Camp East Montana cluster)
- Multiple states: Deaths spread across 15+ states
By Nationality¶
Deaths span: Honduras, Guatemala, Cuba, Mexico, Nicaragua, Haiti, Ethiopia, Ukraine, Colombia, Jamaica, Philippines, Pakistan, Eritrea, Bulgaria, Brazil, China, Dominican Republic, and the Tohono O'odham Nation (Indigenous).
No nationality is safe. No documentation status protects you.
The Context¶
Detention population in 2025:
- January 2025: ~38,000 detainees
- December 2025: 68,440 detainees (78% increase)
The death count rose as the population surged. Overcrowded facilities with inadequate medical care are producing predictable, preventable deaths.
This is not a failure. This is a system operating as designed.