U.S. Records 19 Migrant Deaths in ICE Custody in 2026

U.S. authorities reported Monday the death of the 19th individual this year in custody of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. The deceased is Mamuka Artmeladze, a 43-year-old Georgian national held at the Winn Correctional Center in Louisiana.

According to EFE, guards found Artmeladze unconscious inside his cell on the night of June 4. He was transported to a local health center, where medical personnel declared him dead two hours after admission.

Forensic specialists are preparing autopsy results to determine the official cause of death. The facility is under investigation for alleged negligence after recording two fatalities in less than two months.

Border Patrol arrested Artmeladze on September 25, 2022, and released him on parole with an order to appear at immigration offices within 60 days — an instruction the migrant did not follow.

Security forces recaptured the foreign national on February 5, 2026, during a police operation near Alabama targeting commercial vehicle drivers accused of "posing a risk to public safety."

In an official statement, the U.S. agency detailed that officers proceeded with "preventive" detention after confirming the apprehended individual's irregular status.

Government reports cited by the Spanish media outlet recorded 32 deaths under ICE custody during 2025 — the first year of Donald Trump's administration — the highest figure recorded in more than two decades.