A Mexican teen migrant dies in a Florida jail holding ICE detainees : NPR

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Yuki Iwamura/AP MIAMI — A 19-year-old Mexican migrant died at a county jail in Florida that has been holding immigrant detainees, in accordance with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In line with ICE, Royer Perez-Jimenez "died of presumed suicide," though an official reason for demise stays below investigation.

The demise of Perez-Jimenez on Monday is the forty sixth reported below Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody because the begin of President Donald Trump's administration in January 2025, in accordance with a rely by The Related Press.

Perez-Jimenez is the second particular person to die in ICE custody this week, after an Afghan immigrant — whose household mentioned he had been evacuated from his nation after working for years with U.S. forces — died in a Texas hospital after being detained by immigration authorities.

For the reason that starting of this 12 months, 13 immigrants have died in ICE custody. Perez-Jimenez is the youngest to take action because the starting of Trump's second time period.

The Workplace of The District 21 Medical Examiner didn't reply to an AP request for the post-mortem report. The Florida prosecutor's workplace referred any requests for info to the U.S. Division of Homeland Safety and the U.S. Legal professional Basic's Workplace.

The Mexican authorities mentioned Thursday in a press release that such immigration detention deaths are "unacceptable" and known as for a immediate and thorough U.S. investigation to stop a recurrence. Officers from the Consulate in Miami visited the power the place Perez-Jimenez was held and requested authorities for documentation in regards to the case.

Perez-Jimenez's demise sparked condemnation throughout the immigrant neighborhood.

"Immigration detention system deprives individuals of freedom, isolates individuals away from family members, and topics individuals to abysmal circumstances," mentioned Carly Pérez Fernández, communications director at Detention Watch Community, a nationwide coalition advocating towards immigrant detention.

ICE mentioned an officer discovered Perez-Jimenez "unconscious and unresponsive" at 2:34 a.m. on Monday at Glades County Detention Middle in Moore Haven, a facility that President Joe Biden's administration shut down and the Trump administration reopened. Moore Haven is about 55 miles (90 kilometers) northeast of Fort Myers.

The officers who discovered Perez-Jimenez "instantly" known as a medical emergency within the dormitory, and employees began cardiopulmonary resuscitation, mentioned ICE. Two medical personnel arrived a couple of minutes later and decided Perez-Jimenez to be with out pulse, earlier than the arrival of fireplace rescue deputies who "initiated life-sustaining interventions."

Perez-Jimenez was pronounced lifeless at 2:51 a.m., 17 minutes after he was discovered lifeless, ICE mentioned.

The Mexican teenager was arrested on Jan. 22 by sheriff's officers in Volusia County, a rural space situated in east-central Florida and charged with a felony for impersonation and resisting an officer, in accordance with ICE. He was transferred to ICE custody a month later.

The AP requested the arrest report for Royer Perez-Jimenez from the Volusia County Sheriff's Workplace, offering the total identify listed within the ICE press launch and the date of the arrest. The Volusia County Sheriff's Workplace responded that it searched its system, and Perez-Jimenez doesn't seem in it.

Florida is likely one of the states that aligns most with the Trump administration on immigration issues and homes a few of the most well-known immigrant detention facilities, such because the South Florida Detention Facility, also called Alligator Alcatraz, and Krome North Service Processing Middle. Some detainees have reported discovering worms of their meals, nonfunctioning bathrooms and overflowing sewage.

Extended detention nationwide has turn into extra frequent throughout Trump's present time period. That is partly attributable to a brand new coverage that typically prohibits immigration judges from releasing detainees whereas their deportation instances make their approach by overburdened courts.