Fact check: More people died in ICE custody in 2025 than in any year in at least two decades.

Verdict: mostly true — Trust Score 78/100

The claims regarding record-breaking death tolls and the June 2026 policy shift are confirmed by 11 sources including the Associated Press, The Washington Post, and The Guardian. While the underlying statistics and the existence of the reporting change are verified, the post uses sensationalized framing to suggest a total 'cover-up' of all deaths, whereas the policy specifically targets the reporting of individuals who die shortly after being released from custody.

mostly true verification card — Trust Score 78/100
Platform
facebook
Source author
The Democratic Voice — see all fact-checks of this account
Original post
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1JFDuXQwBL/
Verified on
June 9, 2026
Verification ID
KITG7dAXBU0Zwk9ybnOi2Q

Original content reviewed

Platform: FACEBOOK Author: @The Democratic Voice --- Caption/Description --- More people died in ICE custody in 2025 than in any year in at least two decades, and 2026 is on track to be even worse. And now the government’s response to that scandal is to simply stop counting. This is what impunity looks like. When you control who gets reported, you control what the public knows. When you control what the public knows, no one is ever held accountable. They are not making the dying stop. They are making the reporting stop. That is not transparency. That is a cover-up. Published: 2026-06-08T16:30:14.000Z ---VERIFICATION_SUMMARY--- Platform: FACEBOOK Author: @The Democratic Voice --- Caption/Description --- More people died in ICE custody in 2025 than in any year in at least two decades, and 2026 is on track to be even worse. And now the government’s response to that scandal is to simply stop counting. This is what impunity looks like. When you control who gets reported, you control what the public knows. When you control what the public knows, no one is ever held accountable. They are not making the dying stop. They are making the reporting stop. That is not transparency. That is a cover-up. --- Claims to Verify --- 1. More people died in ICE custody in 2025 than in any year in at least two decades. 2. The number of deaths in ICE custody in 2026 is on track to exceed the 2025 total. 3. The United States government has implemented a policy to stop counting or reporting deaths in ICE custody. --- Verification Focus --- The Democratic Voice 'More people died in ICE custody in 2025' 2025 ICE custody deaths 2025 AP Reuters government stop counting ICE deaths fact check Snopes PolitiFact ICE custody deaths 2026 projections ICE death reporting policy 2025 2026 Published: 2026-06-08T16:30:14.000Z

Claims analyzed (4)

  1. mostly true: More people died in ICE custody in 2025 than in any year in at least two decades.
    In the 2025 calendar year, 32 people died in ICE custody, which tied the all-time record set in 2004 and exceeded every other year in the agency's history.
  2. verified: The number of deaths in ICE custody in 2026 is on track to exceed the 2025 total.
    As of early June 2026, ICE has reported 18 deaths in the first five months of the year. At this pace, the annual total is projected to reach approximately 43 deaths, significantly higher than the 2025 total of 32.
  3. misleading: The United States government has implemented a policy to stop counting or reporting deaths in ICE custody.
    The government did not stop counting all deaths. Instead, a June 2026 memo rescinded a policy requiring ICE to report deaths that occur within 30 days of a detainee's release. Deaths occurring while physically in custody are still reported.
  4. verified: ICE announced they will no longer report the deaths of recently released detainees.
    An internal memo from acting director David Venturella, confirmed by DHS on June 4, 2026, explicitly stated that ICE is eliminating the requirement to report deaths occurring within 30 days of release.

Sources consulted (20)

Related verifications

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