WASHINGTON — The watchdog for the Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday that its office is launching two new reviews related to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s handling of detained migrants, according to a new announcement on the inspector general’s website.
One of the reviews will examine an increase in deaths of ICE detainees, and the other will look into whether ICE facilities are abiding by proper use-of-force standards when they interact with detainees.
The new reviews follow an increase in deaths among migrants in ICE detention, including the death of a detainee at Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas, this year that was ruled a homicide and is under investigation by the FBI, according to DHS.
As of this week, there have been 20 deaths in ICE detention in 2026, according to ICE. There were 33 all of last year, according to the agency. In 2024, the agency announced 11 deaths, according to its website.
Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., asked Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin at a House Appropriations Committee hearing earlier Thursday about the “historically high death rate” in ICE detention.
Mullin rejected the notion of a high death rate, saying of Underwood’s line of questioning, “Those are dangerous accusations that she’s making, because in the state of Illinois, they’re twice as high to die in a state penitentiary in Illinois than they are in ICE detention.”
The DHS inspector general wrote in the announcement that the review focused on detainee deaths is being launched because ICE detainee deaths have increased every fiscal year since 2022.
The inspector general will examine “whether systemic factors, policies, or processes contributed to detainee deaths” from Oct. 1, 2021, through March 31, 2026.
A spokesperson for DHS said in a statement that “there has been NO spike in deaths” and defended the standard of care in its facilities.
“ICE is regularly audited and inspected by external agencies to ensure that all ICE facilities comply with performance-based national detention standards,” the statement said. “All detainees are provided with proper meals, quality water, blankets, medical treatment, and have opportunities to communicate with their family members and lawyers.”
ICE recently changed its policy on publicizing detainee deaths.
Instead of reporting any detainee death that occurs in a detention center or within 30 days of the detainee’s release, ICE will now report deaths only as long as the detainee is in physical custody. That means it no longer documents detainees who become ill in detention, go to the hospital are released from custody and die. At least 11 ICE detainees have died at hospitals this year, according to ICE data.
Asked Thursday about the new death notification policy, Mullin said reporting deaths of detainees who have left custody “doesn’t make any sense,” noting that those detainees are “not under our watch at that point.”
In its statement, DHS said it is committed to transparency around detainee deaths.
“This updated policy outlines procedures for timely notification, review and reporting of deaths occurring in ICE custody, including notifying next of kin, consulates, Congress and the public,” it said.
ICE announced the latest detainee death this week. Felix Alcorta-Rodriguez, 63, of Mexico, died at the Webb County Detention Center in Laredo, Texas. The cause of death is pending an autopsy, according to ICE.
The new use-of-force review follows a recent DHS inspector general’s report describing two violations of use of force at a detention center in Louisiana: a prohibited chokehold and a guard’s use of a pen to stab a detainee who would not close the cell door.
