Mexican Teenager Dies in Florida Jail Holding ICE Detainees
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has confirmed the death of a 19-year-old Mexican migrant at a county jail in Florida that houses immigrant detainees. The incident occurred on Monday at the Glades County Detention Center in Moore Haven, a facility previously shut down by the Biden administration and reopened under President Trump.
Details of the Tragic Incident
According to ICE, officers discovered Royer Perez-Jimenez unconscious and unresponsive at 2:34 a.m. on Monday. Staff immediately initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation and called a medical emergency. Medical personnel arrived shortly after, finding no pulse, and fire rescue deputies attempted life-sustaining interventions. Perez-Jimenez was pronounced dead at 2:51 a.m., just 17 minutes after being found.
ICE stated that Perez-Jimenez "died of presumed suicide," although the official cause of death remains under investigation by the Office of The District 21 Medical Examiner. The Florida prosecutor's office has referred all information requests to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. attorney general's office.
Broader Context of Immigration Detention Deaths
This death marks the 46th reported fatality in ICE custody since the start of President Donald Trump's administration in January 2025, according to Associated Press records. Perez-Jimenez is the second person to die in ICE custody this week, following an Afghan immigrant who died in a Texas hospital after detention. Since the beginning of 2026, 13 immigrants have died in ICE custody, with Perez-Jimenez being the youngest detainee to perish since Trump's second term began.
The incident has sparked condemnation from immigrant advocacy groups. Carly Pérez Fernández, communications director at Detention Watch Network, criticized the system, stating, "Immigration detention system deprives people of freedom, isolates people away from loved ones, and subjects people to abysmal conditions."
Arrest and Custody Background
Perez-Jimenez was arrested on January 22 by sheriff's officers in Volusia County, a rural area in east-central Florida. He faced felony charges for impersonation and resisting an officer. He was transferred to ICE custody a month later. Interestingly, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office responded to an AP request for his arrest report by stating that Perez-Jimenez does not appear in their system, despite ICE providing his full name and arrest date.
Florida's Role in Immigration Detention
Florida is known for its alignment with the Trump administration on immigration policies and hosts several prominent detention centers, including the South Florida Detention Facility (nicknamed Alligator Alcatraz) and Krome North Service Processing Center. Detainees have reported issues such as worms in food, non-functioning toilets, and overflowing sewage at these facilities.
Prolonged detention has become more common nationwide during Trump's current term, partly due to a policy that generally prohibits immigration judges from releasing detainees while deportation cases proceed through overburdened courts. This has increased scrutiny on detention conditions and mortality rates.
The death of Royer Perez-Jimenez highlights ongoing concerns about the treatment and welfare of migrants in U.S. custody, with advocates calling for systemic reforms to prevent further tragedies.
