Mental Health Is Another Casualty of ICE Detention, Human Rights Watch Warns

Human Rights Watch warns that ICE detention is taking a severe mental-health toll on detainees and immigrant communities alike, with healthcare workers reporting rising anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation among those held in custody. HRW notes that 18 people have died in ICE custody so far in 2026, five of them categorized as apparent suicides. On May 20, advocates marched from ICE headquarters to Capitol Hill to oppose a proposed $71 billion increase in DHS funding that the group says lacks safeguards to prevent further harm.