An Associated Press investigation revealed an unprecedented increase in the number of suicides among immigrants detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during President Donald Trump's second term, raising new alarms about detention conditions and access to mental health care in the United States.

According to the report, at least 10 detainees have committed suicide since January 2025, a figure that far exceeds the agency's historical records. Since last October, seven deaths have been officially classified as suicides, making it the deadliest year on record within the ICE immigration detention system.

A system under pressure

The investigation maintains that the increase in suicides occurs while the Trump administration tightens its immigration policy and accelerates mass deportations. Currently, the population detained by ICE is around 60 thousand people, an increase of close to 50% compared to the beginning of the mandate.

Experts consulted by AP consider that the accelerated growth of the detained migrant population has exposed serious deficiencies within the system.

“Something is deeply wrong from any public health or mental health perspective,” said Dr. Sanjay Basu, an epidemiologist at the University of California, San Francisco.

According to the analysis, several centers ignored obvious signs of emotional crisis, delayed psychological treatments and left people considered at risk without adequate surveillance.

The majority of the deceased were Hispanic men between 19 and 45 years old from Mexico, Colombia, Nicaragua and other Latin American countries. Seven of them had no history of violent crimes in the United States.

The case of Brayan Rayo Garzón

One of the cases that generated the most impact was that of Brayan Rayo Garzón, a 26-year-old Colombian detained in Missouri.

According to documents reviewed by the AP, Rayo was isolated after becoming infected with COVID-19 and had requested psychological care while suffering from anxiety, fever and difficulty breathing. He also asked several times to speak to his mother.

“I feel in my heart that she is very worried about me,” she wrote in Spanish in a note given to the guards.

Hours later, he was found unconscious in his cell. The autopsy determined that he died by suicide.

His mother, Adriana Garzón, said that the young man had managed to quickly adapt to life in the United States after emigrating from Colombia in 2023. He worked as a painter and food deliveryman while trying to resolve his immigration situation.

The investigation indicates that the Phelps County jail, where he was detained, failed to comply with basic ICE protocols, including delays in medical evaluations and cancellations of mental health consultations.

Isolation and language barriers

The agency also documented other cases where detainees were isolated, incommunicado, or without access to care in their language.

One of them was Chaofeng Ge, a Chinese national detained in Pennsylvania after facing minor fraud charges. His lawyer assured that the immigrant had serious mental problems and did not receive psychological help during the five days he was in custody.

“It is clear that ICE has taken very few steps to ensure the safety of these individuals,” said attorney David Rankin.

Another case occurred in Texas, where an immigrant was sent to isolation after reporting harassment by other detainees. Days later he died in an apparent suicidal crisis.

Private companies under scrutiny

The investigation also put under pressure private companies such as CoreCivic and GEO Group, responsible for operating several of the centers where the deaths occurred.

ICE inspectors found multiple violations of internal policies, including unsecured dangerous tools, lack of monitoring, and failures to prevent self-harm.

“The increase reflects serious failures in the early stages of the detention process,” said Homer Venters, former medical director of the New York prison system and former ICE advisor.

For its part, the Department of Homeland Security defended the current protocols. Lauren Bies, acting undersecretary of the DHS, assured that suicides continue to be “extremely rare” and affirmed that detainees receive adequate medical and psychological care.

However, immigrant advocates maintain that the increase in deaths evidences a deeper crisis within the US immigration system, especially at a time when deportation policies have intensified and thousands of people remain detained for long periods without legal representation or psychological support.

Seek help / Review information at: Suicide and Crisis Prevention Line 988