Nine individuals have died while in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since President Donald Trump assumed office, the agency’s acting director confirmed during a congressional hearing on Wednesday.
Speaking before the House Appropriations Committee, Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons acknowledged the deaths and emphasized the agency’s commitment to transparency. “We do conduct a thorough investigation on all of those,” Lyons said. “ICE, as I’ve said, is dedicated to transparency.”
As of Thursday, however, ICE’s public records only listed seven deaths for the current fiscal year. Lyons assured lawmakers that the agency’s website would be updated to reflect the accurate number, as required by congressional reporting standards.
The revelation comes amid mounting concern over ICE’s overcrowded detention facilities. Representative Lauren Underwood, a Democrat from Illinois, pointed out that ICE is detaining far more people than its allocated capacity. While Congress approved funding for 41,500 detention beds for the 2024 fiscal year, ICE held over 52,000 individuals in custody as of last week.
“You are maybe one to two months away from running out of funds to support this current level of operations,” Underwood warned.
In response, Lyons denied that ICE is on the verge of a funding crisis. He maintained that the agency is “working within our means” and is relying on additional federal support. Lyons also revealed that ICE has requested $312.5 million in redirected federal funds to increase its detention capacity by 60,000 beds before the end of the year. The agency aims to eventually expand that capacity to 100,000 beds.
Despite those reassurances, Lyons was unable to provide a clear answer when asked whether the additional funding would still leave the agency with a budget shortfall. Representative Mark Amodei, a Republican from Nevada, raised the question directly, but Lyons offered only a general statement.
“I can promise the community, and I can guarantee that we’re going to financially work within our means to ensure that we do not have a shortfall,” he responded.
Earlier this year, ICE had already warned Congress of an anticipated $2 billion budget gap. This financial strain, combined with increased detention numbers, has fueled criticism of the agency’s operations under the Trump administration.
Representative Veronica Escobar, a Democrat from Texas, sharply criticized the administration’s immigration policies during the hearing. She argued that the current approach is placing an unsustainable burden on ICE’s resources and endangering the lives of those in custody.
“What we’ve seen in the Trump administration should send chills down the spine of every American,” Escobar said. “The fact is that the administration is not focusing on the worst of the worst, as it claims.”
Escobar pointed to numerous cases where ICE detained individuals who posed no threat to public safety, including legal residents, students with valid visas, and immigrants with no criminal record. She also highlighted reports of overcrowded conditions in detention centers, where detainees often lack access to clean water, functioning toilets, and adequate medical care.
One of the recent deaths involved a 27-year-old man from Colombia who died in April while in ICE custody. According to the agency, he had suffered health issues that were exacerbated by delayed mental health appointments. At least one delay was attributed to staffing shortages.
As the number of deaths continues to rise, lawmakers are renewing calls for comprehensive reform of ICE’s detention practices. With ongoing concerns about overcrowding, limited resources, and detainee welfare, pressure is mounting on the agency to reevaluate how it handles its responsibilities.
For now, ICE continues to request more funding and resources to manage the growing number of detainees, while questions about accountability and transparency remain at the forefront of congressional oversight.
