ICE Confirms Third Custody Death in 12 Days

Three individuals in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody have died within 12 days, according to several news releases issued by the agency. Why It Matters The latest deaths have sparked renewed concerns about medical care and oversight for detainees in ICE custody. Newsweek has revealed several allegations of abuse at ICE-run detention centers operated by CoreCivic and Geo Group, including cases of medical neglect and mistreatment of migrants. ICE has come under increased scrutiny amid the Trump administration’s efforts to expand immigration enforcement, with overcrowding in detention facilities emerging as a persistent concern. Homeland Security police prepare to transport immigrants pictured on June 4, 2025 in Chicago. What To Know A 67-year-old Jordanian national in ICE custody died on October 11 at Larkin Community Hospital (LCH) in Miami, Florida, according to a press release. ICE said Hasan Ali Moh'D Saleh was pronounced dead by medical professionals at 7:13 p.m. on October 11. The agency said a preliminary cause of death determined by a hospital physician was cardiac arrest. The agency said Saleh had been taken to LCH on October 10 due to a fever and was admitted for further treatment and evaluation. On October 11, LCH medical staff found Saleh unresponsive and began cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) at approximately 6:32 p.m. Saleh was briefly resuscitated, but later lost his pulse again, according to the news release. ICE said hospital staff reinitiated CPR, but Saleh ultimately died. Saleh had a medical history that included hypertension, heart disease, renal disease, and diabetes, according to the agency. ICE said Saleh had first entered the United States on March 8, 1994, in Miami as a non-immigrant with authorization to remain in the U.S. for six months. ICE said he later gained lawful permanent resident status following a 1994 conviction for welfare fraud in Broward County, Florida. Read More News Thunder Cut Ties With Son of Hall of Fame Coach Ahead of Season Thunder Cut Ties With Son of Hall of Fame Coach Ahead of Season Steelers vs. Bengals Betting Odds, Player Props, Best Bets Steelers vs. Bengals Betting Odds, Player Props, Best Bets DOJ Indicts John Bolton: What to Know DOJ Indicts John Bolton: What to Know More Related Stories In 2018, Saleh was found guilty in federal court for conspiracy related to food stamps and wire fraud and sentenced to 24 months in prison, according to ICE. The agency said it encountered Saleh in 2019 after his release from prison, based on prior felony convictions, and subsequently detained him at the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center. An immigration judge ordered Saleh removed from the United States in February 2020, according to an ICE press release. ICE said Saleh was released under an Alternatives to Detention program in June 2020 but was taken back into custody on September 14, 2025, in Pompano Beach, Florida, during an enforcement action related to his final order of removal. ICE said he was then transferred to the Krome Detention Center for removal proceedings. Leo Cruz-Silva, a 34-year-old Mexican national, died on October 4 at the Ste. Genevieve County Jail in Missouri, in "what looked like a suicide attempt," ICE said. He was pronounced dead at 3:47 p.m. by Ste. Genevieve County emergency medical personnel, according to ICE. Cruz-Silva had entered the United States at an unknown date and location and had a prior history of arrests and removals dating back to 2010, the agency said. On July 14, 2011, an immigration judge in Memphis, Tennessee, ordered him removed to Mexico, according to ICE. He was again removed on April 18, 2017, following another arrest in Tennessee, ICE said. Cruz-Silva later reentered the United States multiple times after removal. On September 30, 2025, Festus Police in Missouri arrested him for public intoxication and notified ICE. The agency took him into custody on October 1, 2025, pending reinstatement of a prior removal order, per the ICE release. Huabing Xie, a Chinese national, passed away on September 29, after being transported from the Imperial Regional Detention Facility to El Centro Regional Medical Center in California, the agency said in a news release. Staff at the Calexico-area detention center reported that Xie suffered a seizure and became unresponsive at about 2:13 p.m.; medical personnel on site performed CPR and used a defibrillator before he was taken to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, according to ICE. U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested Xie near Tecate, California, on December 31, 2023, ICE said. He was served a notice to appear before the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review and placed into removal proceedings, then released the same day on an order of recognizance, the agency said. Xie was taken into custody again on September 12 in Indio, California, and transferred to ICE the following day, the agency announced. According to ICE, he remained in detention while his immigration case was being processed. ICE’s public announcement did not include information about any preexisting medical conditions. The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) and ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility typically review every in-custody death to determine whether detention standards were followed, according to agency policy. ICE has reported at least 20 in-custody deaths during the 2025 fiscal year, according to the Detention Watch Network, an advocacy group. What People Are Saying ICE wrote in a press release: "ICE remains committed to ensuring that all those in its custody reside in safe, secure and humane environments. Comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment individuals arrive and throughout the entirety of their stay." For more information, visit us at https://www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com/.