Immigration and Customs Enforcement is violating standards that ensure detained immigrants receive initial medical screenings, routine health care, and timely responses to physical complaints, according to a review of detainee lawsuits, independent research, and recent congressional investigations by Democrats. President Trump’s mass deportation effort has led to a record number of immigrants being held in federal detention centers, local jails, and private prisons, putting their health at risk.
The number of immigrants in detention swelled from about 40,000 in November 2023 to a record 73,000 in mid-January. Democratic members of Congress have demanded autopsy reports on detainees who died in custody and have publicly accused ICE of denying immigrants access to care. According to ICE, at least eight detainees have died in custody so far in 2026, with 33 detainee deaths in 2025 and 11 in 2024. However, House Democrats say 53 people have died in ICE or Customs and Border Protection custody since Trump took office.
Medical Care Deterioration
Weakened oversight and infrastructure have imperiled adequate health services. The Trump administration cut staff at the DHS Immigration Detention Ombudsman office, effectively shuttering most of its operations. There are also lengthy delays processing detainee health payment claims from third-party doctors and hospitals, jeopardizing care. The Department of Veterans Affairs stopped processing detainee claims in October, creating an emergency. A new claims processor, Acentra Health, has been retained, but ICE stated that no claims will be processed until April 30.
One detainee, Fernando Viera Reyes, needed a biopsy for possible prostate cancer when sent to an immigration detention center in California’s Mojave Desert. He made repeated requests over months, despite blood in his urine—a potential sign of spread cancer. A federal judge ordered ICE and DHS on February 10 to provide adequate health care to detainees and conduct external monitoring, including on-site inspections of the detention center.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/detainees-medical-care-ice-detention-dhs-funding-fight/