A new case of death has been reported inside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility.
Sheriff Anthony LaRocco addressed the incident, stating: “An extensive investigation is underway, which will be comprehensive and open to determine what led to the death. Nassau County is committed to ensuring humane treatment for all individuals in custody,” he explained.
According reports this marks the initial death of an ICE detainee since Nassau County began its collaboration with federal authorities. The partnership, initiated in February, designates 50 cells within the local jail for housing migrants in federal custody.
The deceased, whose name remains undisclosed, was discovered unresponsive at approximately 6:30 a.m. on Thursday. According to facility personnel, he showed “no signs of breathing” when found in his cell, and medical emergency teams were unsuccessful in their revival attempts, according to The Guardian.
From February through June, the facility housed over 1,400 individuals under this arrangement. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman noted in July that “no individual has been detained beyond the 72-hour limit” as specified in the ICE agreement. He also mentioned that the county receives federal reimbursement of $195 per detainee nightly.
New York Attorney General Letitia James’s office has confirmed it has launched an initial review into the death’s circumstances.
This incident contributes to the rising number of deaths in ICE custody. Agency statistics show at least 14 individuals have died during the 2025 fiscal year, which commenced in October 2024. Additionally, ICE reports that as of September 7, the total number of migrants in U.S. detention reached 58,766 this year.
Data analyzed by New York Focus reveals that New York State county jails have detained six times more individuals for ICE in 2025 compared to the previous year. Immigration-related arrests from January to July totaled nearly 2,800, up from 500 throughout 2024.
Nassau County, which hosts significant Salvadoran and Guatemalan populations, has become a focal point in this expanded local-federal partnership — with this first ICE detainee death potentially sparking renewed scrutiny of immigration detention facility conditions.
https://ctninfo.com/?p=37016&preview=true
Source: The Guardian
