Deaths of migrants in ICE custody hit record high under Trump

The number of immigrant deaths in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody has reached a record high this fiscal year, with 29 deaths reported since October. This surpasses the previous record of 28 deaths in 2004. The latest case involved Aled Damien Carbonell-Betancourt, a 27-year-old Cuban man who died in Miami, Florida, with a “presumed suicide” listed as the cause, though it remains under investigation. The increase in deaths coincides with a significant rise in detentions under the Trump administration, which has seen a 70% increase compared to the first year of the Biden administration. Currently, about 60,000 people are in immigration detention. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) attributes the rise in deaths to the large number of detainees and claims that ICE provides adequate medical care. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons noted the high number of detainees as a factor in the increased death toll. QUESTION: How might the increase in immigrant deaths in detention affect public perception of immigration policies?