UPDATE: The number of detainee deaths in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody has surged to a shocking high in 2025, with at least 30 fatalities reported this year—marking the deadliest period since 2004. This alarming statistic comes as ICE grapples with a record number of detentions amid increasing scrutiny over conditions in its facilities.
Just this month, ICE confirmed that six detainees died between December 12 and 15 alone, intensifying calls for accountability and reform. Among the deceased is Francisco Gaspar Cristóbal Andrés, a Guatemalan man who, according to his widow, Lucía Pedro Juan, showed no signs of illness prior to his detention on September 1, 2025.
Pedro Juan, detained alongside her husband in Homewood, Florida, described their experience at the Camp East Montana facility in El Paso, Texas, as harrowing. “It’s there in Texas where we suffered,” she recounted, highlighting the inhumane treatment detainees face. She reported that guards used derogatory terms, calling them “animals” and “pigs,” and claimed they were fed what was labeled as “dog food.”
Despite ICE asserting that Cristóbal Andrés received medical care upon entering custody, Pedro Juan insists her husband was healthy before their detention. She recalled how Cristóbal Andrés was treated for multiple health issues, including hyponatremia, a serious condition caused by low sodium levels, and ultimately succumbed to liver and kidney failure on December 3, 2025, just 93 days after being detained.
The deaths have sparked outrage among human rights advocates and lawmakers, with Marisa Limón Garza, director of the Las Americas immigrant rights group, emphasizing the urgent need for change. “This kind of detention is only going to accelerate that harm,” she stated during a recent news conference. “It is gravely unfortunate that this man has passed.”
In response to the mounting criticism, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin dismissed concerns as “fear-mongering clickbait,” asserting that “no lawbreakers in the history of human civilization have been treated better than illegal aliens in the United States.”
Pedro Juan’s emotional account paints a stark picture of the personal toll these policies exact. “I hope the government understands that we are people,” she implored. Her testimony reflects a broader tragedy faced by many families caught in the crosshairs of stringent immigration policies.
As the year draws to a close, officials and advocates continue to call for immediate reform in ICE detention practices. With the current death toll already at an unprecedented level, many fear that without significant changes, this tragic trend will persist.
The urgent situation demands attention as advocates push for better treatment and conditions for detainees—emphasizing that every life is valuable and deserves humane treatment. Stay tuned for updates as this story continues to develop.
