A 19-year-old Mexican man has died while being held in detention by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency has confirmed. Royer Perez-Jimenez was found 'unconscious and unresponsive' at the Glades County Detention Center in Florida on March 16, and his death has been presumed a suicide, though an official cause is still being investigated.
This tragic event marks Perez-Jimenez as the youngest individual to die in ICE custody since the onset of a recent nationwide crackdown on immigration initiated by the new administration. He was noted to have been arrested earlier for minor offenses related to fraud and illegally entering the US.
ICE reported that when admitted, Perez-Jimenez denied any behavioral health issues and answered 'no' to all suicide screening questions. Following news of his death, the Mexican government expressed its outrage, deeming the circumstances unacceptable, and called for a thorough investigation to ascertain the conditions leading to such incidents.
Advocacy groups have highlighted a concerning trend: since January 2025, there have been over 42 reported migrant deaths in ICE detention, a number that starkly contrasts with the 24 deaths reported during the entire four-year tenure of President Joe Biden.
This tragic event marks Perez-Jimenez as the youngest individual to die in ICE custody since the onset of a recent nationwide crackdown on immigration initiated by the new administration. He was noted to have been arrested earlier for minor offenses related to fraud and illegally entering the US.
ICE reported that when admitted, Perez-Jimenez denied any behavioral health issues and answered 'no' to all suicide screening questions. Following news of his death, the Mexican government expressed its outrage, deeming the circumstances unacceptable, and called for a thorough investigation to ascertain the conditions leading to such incidents.
Advocacy groups have highlighted a concerning trend: since January 2025, there have been over 42 reported migrant deaths in ICE detention, a number that starkly contrasts with the 24 deaths reported during the entire four-year tenure of President Joe Biden.
