Deaths and Health Care Issues in ICE Detention Centers Under the Second Trump Administration Authors: Akash Pillai, Drishti Pillai, and Samantha Artiga Published: Mar 25, 2026

https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/deaths-and-health-care-issues-in-ice-detention-centers-under-the-second-trump-administration/ As of March 18, 2026, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported that 46 people died while in their custody or detention facilities since the start of the second Trump administration in January 2025. The number of deaths of people in detention during 2025 exceeded the highest seen in over two decades, and deaths in 2026 are on track to meet or exceed that number. President Trump implemented immigration policy changes focused on increasing interior enforcement efforts to support mass deportation, which increased the number of immigrants detained by ICE to over 68,000 as of February 7, 2026, an increase of over 70% from the 39,000 immigrants held in detention at the end of the Biden administration in December 2024.