ICE detainees dying by suicide at 'alarming' rate, AP investigation finds

May 28, 2026 - 04:13

Brayan Rayo Garzon was distraught. Detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he was on his fourth day of isolation in a Missouri jail as he battled the fevers and chills of COVID-19. His request for mental health treatment had been put off, records show, and staff had forbidden Rayo from making his nightly call to his mother as a precaution intended to prevent the spread of illness. He pleaded with his jailers in handwritten notes.

An Associated Press investigation has found that suicide rates among ICE detainees have surged to what experts call an alarming level. The report highlights a pattern of inadequate mental health care, prolonged isolation, and a lack of oversight within the facilities where immigrants are held. Advocates argue that the system is failing vulnerable individuals who are often fleeing trauma and violence, only to face further psychological harm in detention.

The data shows that the number of detainees taking their own lives has climbed sharply in recent years, outpacing rates seen in the general U.S. prison population. Critics point to the use of solitary confinement and delays in psychiatric treatment as key drivers of the crisis. ICE has stated it takes the well-being of detainees seriously, but the findings have renewed calls for major reforms to how the agency handles mental health.