OfflineImmigrant enforcement and detention have reached unprecedented levels of violence.
52 people have already died this year in ICE detention and there have been at least 11 fatal shootings tied to an ICE or CBP agent since January 20th, 2025. On July 13th, an ICE agent shot and killed a person in Biddeford, Maine. This marks the second time in six days that an ICE agent has killed someone. On July 9th, an agent in Houston shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo to death during a traffic stop.
Meanwhile, reports from ICE detention centers describe rotten food, unpaid labor, filthy conditions, inadequate medical care, and the detention of people who lawfully entered the U.S., including pregnant women and children.
In June, ICE released its long‑awaited 2026 detention standards guidance. While there are small steps forward — including requiring language interpretation, mental‑health evaluations, and clearer release procedures — these updates fall far short of what is needed for just, humane, and rights‑based enforcement.
The new standards still allow the detention of children and families, leaving them vulnerable to harsh, prison‑like conditions and even indefinite confinement. They also permit solitary confinement for people with severe mental illness — an inhumane practice that isolates those who need care, not punishment. And medical care remains dangerously inadequate: sick detainees are denied treatment, pregnant women lack guaranteed access to specialists, and emergencies often go unanswered.
Despite public outcry, Congress approved $70 billion in new enforcement funding for ICE and CBP and is negotiating now for even more — all without the guardrails needed to keep people safe.
When people die in government custody, families deserve answers — and taxpayers deserve accountability. Strong DHS oversight is essential to protect vulnerable people and ensure detention facilities meet basic standards of safety and dignity.
Our grassroots advocates should urge Congress to:
Stop excessive enforcement funding without guardrails or oversight.
Require due process and accountability for violations.
Improve detention standards and END DHS detention of children and families.
Advocacy matters. We urge our advocates to tell their Members of Congress to defend the rights, dignity, and safety of all immigrants and refugees held in U.S. detention.
