In brief
Royer Perez-Jimenez, a 19-year-old migrant, has died in ICE custody at Glades County Detention Center, prompting fresh scrutiny of immigration detention conditions. His death, classified as a presumed suicide, is part of a troubling trend with 46 deaths reported under ICE since January 2025. Activists emphasize the need for humane treatment and call for reform of the immigration system as the community mourns the loss of a young life.
MIAMI (AP) — A 19-year-old Mexican migrant, Royer Perez-Jimenez, has died while in custody at a Florida county jail known for housing immigrants, as confirmed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
ICE reported that Perez-Jimenez “died of presumed suicide,” although the official cause of death is still under investigation.
His passing on Monday marks the 46th death in ICE custody since President Trump began his second term in January 2025, according to various reports. The incident occurred just days after another detainee, an Afghan immigrant who worked with U.S. forces, died in a Texas hospital following ICE detention.
Since the beginning of 2026, 13 migrants have died in custody, making Perez-Jimenez the youngest to die under ICE supervision during this term.
Requests for the autopsy report from the Office of The District 21 Medical Examiner have gone unanswered, and inquiries to the local prosecutor’s office were redirected to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Perez-Jimenez's death has sparked significant outcry from the immigrant community, with advocates pointing to the dire conditions in detention facilities. Carly Pérez Fernández, communications director at Detention Watch Network, stated, “The immigration detention system deprives people of freedom, isolates them from loved ones, and subjects them to abysmal conditions.”
On the night of his death, staff at Glades County Detention Center discovered him unconscious and unresponsive around 2:34 a.m. Personnel attempted to conduct cardiopulmonary resuscitation until medical responders arrived, declaring him dead by 2:51 a.m.
Originally arrested on January 22 for felony charges in Volusia County, Florida, Perez-Jimenez’s case adds to the alarming trend of deaths within ICE facilities and has prompted calls from activists for humane treatment and reforms in the immigration system.
Florida, a state noted for strict immigration policies under the Trump administration, is home to several infamous detention centers, where reports of poor conditions frequently surface. Many detainees describe experiences involving inadequate food and sanitation, fostering discontent and spurring advocacy for change.
