18th Cuban Detainee Dies in ICE Custody This Year
Joseph Stepansky
A 33-year-old Cuban man died in an ICE detention facility in an apparent suicide, the agency confirmed. Physicians for Human Rights said Denny Adan Gonzalez is the 18th person to die in U.S. immigration detention this year, amid Trump's mass deportation campaign. This marks the fifth death believed to be a suicide, as monitors warn of a rising suicide trend.
A 33-year-old Cuban man died in an ICE detention facility in an apparent suicide, the agency confirmed. The monitoring group Physicians for Human Rights said on April 25 that Denny Adan Gonzalez was the 18th person to die in U.S. immigration detention this year, amid President Donald Trump's mass deportation campaign. This is also the fifth death believed to be a suicide, according to the group, which warned of a 'rising suicide trend' within the detention system.
ICE said Gonzalez was arrested on December 12, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina, on charges of assaulting a woman and domestic violence. He was transferred to the Stewart Detention Center in Georgia in January. ICE added that he had previously been deported from the U.S. but illegally re-entered in 2022.
On April 22, Gonzalez was found unresponsive in his cell and was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. He was discovered by staff of CoreCivic, a private prison company that contracts with ICE.
Monitors said 2026 is on track to record the highest number of deaths in ICE's 22-year history. Last year saw a record 33 deaths in immigration detention.
The rising death toll comes as the number of people in immigration detention has surged under Trump, peaking at over 70,000 in January of this year, compared to fewer than 40,000 when he took office in January 2025, according to data from TRAC.
Reacting to Gonzalez's death, Physicians for Human Rights said it 'reflects a rising trend of suicide in a system where solitary confinement remains common, despite clear evidence of severe psychological harm.' Attorney Andrew Free, who monitors immigration detention cases, said Gonzalez had been in solitary confinement. ICE did not confirm whether he was isolated at the time of his death.
Dr. Katherine Peeler, a physician and professor at Harvard Medical School, said she was 'not surprised by this death—and that is what makes it so devastating.' She said placing migrants in solitary confinement, away from family and legal support, increases suicide risk. Peeler, who advises Physicians for Human Rights, co-authored an academic paper on shrinking oversight during the Trump-era detention surge.
For its part, ICE said it is 'committed to ensuring that all detainees live in a safe and humane environment.' The agency said all detainees receive medical, dental, and mental health screenings within 12 hours of intake, a comprehensive health assessment within 14 days, and 24-hour access to emergency services.
