By Camilo Montoya-Galvez
Updated on: May 1, 2026 / 7:51 PM EDT / CBS News
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement reported the 18th death of a person in its custody so far this year, a tally that, if the trend holds, would put the agency on pace to set a new record for detainee deaths.
ICE said a 33-year-old man from Cuba, Denny Adan Gonzalez, was found unresponsive in his cell at the privately operated Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia, late Tuesday. The agency described the suspected cause of death as suicide and said its investigation is ongoing.
The reported suicide is the 18th ICE detainee death in the first four months of 2026. In 2025, ICE reported 31 detainee deaths, a two-decade high that nearly matched the all-time record of 32 deaths in 2004.
ICE said Gonzalez first entered the U.S. in May 2019 at an official Texas port of entry and was deported the following year. He allegedly reentered the country in 2022 and was reportedly released by immigration officials. In December, local authorities in Charlotte, North Carolina, arrested Gonzalez on assault and domestic violence charges, and ICE took him into federal custody in January; he remained detained since then, the agency said.
The rise in detainee deaths has coincided with the Biden administration’s expanded deportation and enforcement actions. ICE’s detention population surged earlier this year to more than 70,000 people, a level that later declined after officials scaled back aggressive operations in some cities amid bipartisan criticism. The detained population was around 60,000 last month—higher than under any prior administration.
Even after accounting for the size of the detained population, 2025 had the highest death rate since 2020, at 5.6 deaths per 10,000 detainees, according to a CBS News analysis of government data. Those who died in ICE custody this year include an Afghan refugee who worked alongside U.S. forces in Afghanistan and a Mexican teenager. Many detainees had been arrested by local authorities on a range of charges, including theft, fraud and resisting an officer.
As ICE expands its detention operations, reports have emerged alleging overcrowding, inadequate medical care and insufficient food at facilities nationwide. ICE has repeatedly denied allegations of poor conditions and, when announcing deaths, has defended its treatment of detainees.
“ICE is committed to ensuring that all those in custody reside in safe, secure, and humane environments,” the agency said Friday. “Comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment individuals arrive and throughout their stay.”
Julia Ingram contributed to this report.
