19-Year-Old Migrant Dies in Florida Immigration Custody
MIAMI — A tragic incident has unfolded at a Florida county jail, where a 19-year-old Mexican migrant named Royer Perez-Jimenez has died while in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. According to ICE, the migration detention was marked by this unfortunate loss, which has raised significant concern both locally and internationally.
Details of the Incident
Perez-Jimenez was found unconscious at approximately 2:34 a.m. on Monday at the Glades County Detention Center in Moore Haven, about 55 miles northeast of Fort Myers. Despite immediate efforts made by staff, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation, he was pronounced dead just 17 minutes later. ICE has indicated that Perez-Jimenez “died of presumed suicide,” although an official cause of death is still under investigation.
This incident marks the 46th reported death detainees have experienced under ICE custody since the start of President Donald Trump’s administration in January 2025. Notably, Perez-Jimenez is the youngest migrant to die in custody during this term. His death follows another incident within the same week, where an Afghan immigrant, recently evacuated after serving with U.S. forces, also died after being detained in Texas.
Calls for Investigation
The circumstances surrounding Perez-Jimenez’s death have sparked widespread condemnation from the immigrant community and human rights advocates. Carly Pérez Fernández, communications director for the Detention Watch Network, emphasized the negative impacts of the immigration detention system, which isolates individuals and subjects them to poor conditions.
The Mexican government promptly labeled the incident “unacceptable” and is demanding a thorough investigation from U.S. authorities to prevent similar tragedies in the future. Officials from the Mexican Consulate in Miami have already visited the detention facility to gain further information.
Efforts to obtain the autopsy report have been complicated, with the Office of The District 21 Medical Examiner not responding to requests from the Associated Press. Additionally, the Florida prosecutor’s office has referred such inquiries to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Attorney General’s Office.
Broader Context of Detention Conditions
Since the beginning of 2026 alone, at least 13 immigrants have succumbed during their time in ICE custody. The rising number of deaths has drawn attention to the increasingly harsh conditions within the U.S. immigration detention system, particularly in Florida, where facilities like the South Florida Detention Facility and Krome North Processing Center are notorious for their poor living conditions.
Detention facilities have been criticized for inadequate medical care and unmanageable living circumstances, including reports of unsanitary food conditions. Advocates argue that such conditions contribute to a culture where mental health crises can lead to tragic outcomes.
Perez-Jimenez had been arrested on January 22 by local authorities in Volusia County, facing charges of felony impersonation and resisting an officer. He was subsequently transferred to ICE custody a month later, but discrepancies have arisen regarding the details of his initial arrest, as the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office claimed they couldn’t locate any record of him in their system.
This incident has not only raised urgent questions about the treatment of detainees but also reignited debates surrounding immigration policy and the ongoing management of the detention system itself amid ongoing reforms.
Source reference: Full report
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