As part of research released in JAMA Network, researchers examined the characteristics of deaths among people detained by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) between 2011 and 2018.
The study looked at 55 participants who were alleged to have passed away at ICE detention facilities.
Researchers at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles claimed that the young adult participants deceased in ICE detainments had low rates of preexisting disease, attributing the deaths to ICE’s internal medical standards.
“Concerns have been raised that substandard medical care has contributed to deaths in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities,” researchers claimed in their findings.
“After each in-custody death, ICE produces detainee death reviews, which describe the circumstances of the death and determine whether ICE Performance-Based National Detention Standards (PBNDS) were violated.”
The findings suggest that more oversight and a broader look into the medical practices within ICE facilities are warranted.
