ICE In‑Custody Deaths Hit Two‑Decade High After Presumed‑Suicide Death of 19‑Year‑Old Mexican Detainee at Reopened Florida Jail
ICE says 19‑year‑old Mexican migrant Royer Perez‑Jimenez was found unconscious at 2:34 a.m. and pronounced dead at 2:51 a.m. at the Glades County Detention Center in Moore Haven, Florida — a facility shuttered by the Biden administration and later reopened to hold immigration detainees — and his death is being treated as a presumed suicide while the official cause remains under investigation. His death, which ICE says is the 13th in custody this year, comes as fatalities in ICE detention reach their highest level in roughly two decades, prompting demands from the Mexican government for a prompt investigation and condemnation from advocates, amid reports that the Volusia County sheriff’s office has no record of his arrest under the name and date ICE provided.
📌 Key Facts
- According to ICE data, deaths in ICE custody are at their highest level in roughly 20 years; ICE says the Florida death was the 13th death in ICE detention so far this year.
- The deceased is identified as 19-year-old Mexican migrant Royer Perez‑Jimenez; ICE reports he 'died of presumed suicide' and the official cause of death remains under investigation.
- Perez‑Jimenez died at the Glades County Detention Center in Moore Haven, Florida — a jail the Biden administration had closed and the Trump administration later reopened to hold immigration detainees.
- ICE provided a timeline saying Perez‑Jimenez was found 'unconscious and unresponsive' at 2:34 a.m., CPR was begun, facility medical staff found no pulse, and he was pronounced dead at 2:51 a.m.
- ICE says Perez‑Jimenez was arrested Jan. 22 in Volusia County for felony impersonation and resisting an officer, but the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office told AP it has no record of him in its system under that name and date.
- The Mexican government called deaths in immigration detention 'unacceptable,' demanded a prompt and thorough U.S. investigation, and said consular officials have visited the facility and requested documentation.
- Advocacy group Detention Watch Network condemned the death, saying immigration detention 'deprives people of freedom, isolates people away from loved ones, and subjects people to abysmal conditions.'
📊 Relevant Data
Between 2010 and 2020, the suicide rate among individuals in ICE detention was 3.4 per 100,000 detainee-years, compared to 16.3 per 100,000 in the general U.S. population, but recent analyses highlight deficiencies in mental health care contributing to suicides in ICE facilities.
Suicide Rates of Migrants in United States Immigration Detention (2010–2020) — Peeler Immigration Lab, Harvard Medical School
In 2025, 32 people died in ICE custody, with breakdowns showing 10 suicides, 15 medical-related deaths, and 7 other causes, marking the deadliest year in two decades.
2025 was ICE's deadliest year in two decades. Here are the 32 people who died — The Guardian
The Glades County Detention Center was closed in 2022 due to documented issues including inadequate medical care, human rights abuses, and medical neglect, and was reopened in 2025 under the Trump administration to expand detention capacity.
Shut Down Glades Coalition Update: Five Wins and the Road Ahead — Freedom for Immigrants
As of 2025, immigrants in ICE detention in Florida facilities, including Glades, are predominantly from Latin American countries, with Mexicans comprising about 25-30% of detainees, and the population has increased by over 75% since early 2025.
New Report Details ICE's Expanding and Increasingly Opaque Detention System — American Immigration Council
Recent studies show that prolonged detention and isolation contribute to mental health deterioration, with suicide deaths in ICE custody often linked to lack of timely psychiatric evaluations and follow-up care.
Suicide in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Detention — Psychiatric Services (American Psychiatric Association)
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Identifies the deceased as 19‑year‑old Mexican migrant Royer Perez‑Jimenez and says ICE reports he 'died of presumed suicide,' with the official cause of death still under investigation.
- Specifies he died at Glades County Detention Center in Moore Haven, Florida, a jail the Biden administration had shut down and the Trump administration later reopened to hold immigration detainees.
- Provides a detailed ICE timeline: Perez‑Jimenez was found 'unconscious and unresponsive' at 2:34 a.m., CPR was begun, he was found to be without a pulse by facility medical staff, and he was pronounced dead at 2:51 a.m.
- Reports that Perez‑Jimenez was arrested Jan. 22 in Volusia County for felony impersonation and resisting an officer according to ICE, but that the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office told AP it has no record of him in its system under that name and date.
- Quotes the Mexican government calling immigration detention deaths 'unacceptable' and demanding a prompt and thorough U.S. investigation, and notes consular officials have visited the facility and requested documentation.
- Includes condemnation from advocacy group Detention Watch Network, which says immigration detention 'deprives people of freedom, isolates people away from loved ones, and subjects people to abysmal conditions.'
- CBS, citing ICE data, reports that deaths in ICE custody are now at their highest level in roughly 20 years.
- ICE confirms that the death of a 19‑year‑old Mexican detainee in Florida on Monday was the 13th death in ICE detention so far this year.
- CBS frames the 2026 death tally as part of a growing trend in detention fatalities, not just isolated incidents.