U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has recorded its deadliest year in two decades, prompting warnings from former officials that conditions in detention could worsen in the year ahead, according to a new report from NPR.
The review of agency data revealed that at least 20 people have died in ICE custody so far in 2025, the highest number since 2004, when 32 detainees died. With nearly 60,000 people currently detained and oversight offices weakened, experts say the agency's rapid expansion may outpace its capacity to keep people safe.
