JAMA Study: Mortality in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Detention

A peer-reviewed JAMA analysis by Sanjay Basu and colleagues examined 272 in-custody deaths from fiscal year 2004 through January 19, 2026. The mortality rate fell from 127.7 per 100,000 person-years in FY2004 to 23.6 across FY2013–2016, then rose to 88.9 in the partial FY2026 period. The authors tied the recent increase to operational changes reported in 2025 — disrupted or terminated oversight mechanisms, rapid detention expansion with reports of overcrowding, and potentially delayed medical care — and called for more complete, auditable mortality surveillance.