In brief
Royer Perez-Jimenez, a 19-year-old Mexican man, was found unconscious in the Glades County Detention Center in Florida and later presumed to have died by suicide. His demise marks a significant concern over the rising mortality rates in ICE custody, with calls for thorough investigations into the circumstances surrounding his death.
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 on Monday at the Glades County Detention Center in Florida, according to a statement from ICE.
He died of a presumed suicide; however, the official cause of his death remains under investigation, the statement adds.
According to US media, Perez-Jimenez is the youngest prisoner to die in ICE custody since Donald Trump returned to office and launched a nationwide immigration crackdown.
Perez-Jimenez was found in his cell at 02:34 (07:34 GMT) on 16 March, according to ICE, which added that prison staff immediately began life-saving efforts.
The statement says he was arrested in January and charged with fraud for impersonation and misdemeanor resisting an officer. Officials say he had illegally entered the US at an unknown date.
When he was admitted to the jail, he denied any behavioral health issues or concerns and answered 'no' to all suicide screening questions, ICE says.
The Mexican government has requested more details about Perez-Jimenez's death and has called it unacceptable.
The Government of Mexico reiterates that these deaths are unacceptable and once again calls on immigration authorities to carry out a prompt and thorough investigation to clarify the circumstances that led to this death, determine responsibility, and establish effective guarantees of non-repetition, the foreign ministry said on Thursday.
According to the Detention Watch Network, a group which opposes immigrant detention, there have been more than 42 migrant deaths in custody since Trump returned to office in January 2025.
Immigration raids have also led to multiple deaths of migrants, as well as the deaths of two US citizens shot by agents in Minnesota.
Under Joe Biden, the president who preceded Trump, only 24 deaths were reported in ICE custody during his entire four-year term, according to ICE statistics.
