Trump official acknowledges 9 detainee deaths in ICE custody, disputes overspending [View all]

May 14, 2025

WASHINGTON – Democratic lawmakers clashed with the head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement over funding, deaths while in federal custody and information the agency shares with the public while in pursuit of one of President Donald Trump's most high-profile second-term priorities.

Rep. Lauren Underwood of Illinois, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations subcommittee on homeland security, accused the agency May 14 of spending funds it doesn’t have while still falling short of unrealistic deportation goals.

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9 deaths in ICE custody

Congress has required ICE to publicly post information since 2018 when detainees die in custody. But Underwood and Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, each asked how many detainees had died since the Trump administration took office Jan. 20 because the public postings were delayed 90 days.

Escobar called overcrowding and treatment in detention centers “tantamount to human rights abuses.”

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/05/14/ice-detainee-deaths-custody-spending/83619379007/