WASHINGTON: A Mexican immigrant died in US immigration custody in Los Angeles on March 25, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said on Monday, marking at least 14 deaths in ICE custody in 2026.

Jose Guadalupe Ramos, who was being held at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, was found unconscious and unresponsive in his bunk by security staff, ICE said in a press release.

The staff called onsite medical personnel and he was transferred to an area hospital where he was declared dead, ICE said.

US President Donald Trump launched a mass deportation effort after taking office in 2025, pledging to detain and deport millions of immigrants living in the US illegally. The number of immigrants in ICE detention has reached record levels, with 68,000 locked up as of early February, despite criticism by opponents who say it is overly punitive and potentially deadly.

At least 31 people died in ICE detention in 2025, a two-decade high, and the current pace threatens to eclipse that.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2026