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Comparing Death Rates of People Detained by ICE During the Obama Administration and in 2025. The Death Rate Per Detainee was Higher Under Obama.

Jan 18, 2026 | Illegal Aliens

illegal immigration

Some people claim that 32 people died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody last year (2025). Between January 20th, 2025 and the end of November, the Trump administration arrested 595,000 illegal aliens and deported 605,000. So the rate last year under Trump was: 0.0054 percent, or one death for every 18,594 detainees. These numbers could change when the numbers for the entire year are made available.

During the Obama administration (2009–2017), 56 individuals died in ICE custody. Although the administration did not publish clear detention totals, the closest available figures show about 498,646 detentions and deportations over five fiscal years (2012–2016), an average of roughly 99,729 per year. If that annual rate held throughout the entire administration, ICE would have processed about 797,834 individuals.

Under that estimate, 56 deaths translate into a rate of 0.007 percent—roughly one death for every 14,314 detainees. 

Official ICE estimate of detainees during the Obama administration.

FY 2016 ~65,332

FY 2015 ~63,539

FY 2014 ~102,224

FY 2013 ~133,551

FY 2012 ~134,000

Total 498,646

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