Another death has occurred in a detention facility run by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Johnny Noviello, a 49-year-old Canadian citizen and immigrant held in Florida pending deportation, died Monday at a federal detention center in Miami.
The cause of death remains unknown, according to ICE, which released the information in a Thursday statement without providing further details.
Noviello, a U.S. permanent resident since 1991, was found unresponsive in his cell at the Federal Detention Center in Miami. Despite prompt medical intervention — including CPR and the use of a defibrillator — he was pronounced dead within the hour, ICE officials told The Daily Beast.
According to the agency, Noviello had been taken into custody following the completion of a prison sentence for drug trafficking and racketeering charges in Florida. He was re-arrested by ICE in May, shortly after his parole, and removal proceedings to Canada were quickly initiated.
In its public statement, ICE said that detainees like Noviello receive full access to medical care: “All individuals receive medical, dental, and mental health intake screenings upon arrival, with a comprehensive follow-up within 14 days,” the agency stated, as reported by The Daily Beast.
However, this assurance was not enough to prevent another tragedy in ICE custody. According to figures cited by the outlet, Noviello’s death marks at least the eighth in ICE detention since President Donald Trump returned to office on January 20.
The current immigration landscape is defined by a sweeping escalation of federal enforcement operations.
Under the Trump administration, the crackdown extends beyond undocumented immigrants. Legal permanent residents and visa holders are increasingly targeted, often over past criminal charges. Some removals have been processed under the Alien Enemies Act, a rarely used 1798 law that allows for deportation without a court hearing.
Some detentions are now occurring outside the continental United States. The Daily Beast reports that migrants are being transferred to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, while others are sent to the massive CECOT prison facility in El Salvador, known for its harsh conditions.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed this week that a portion of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) budget would be redirected to fund a new ICE facility in the Florida Everglades — unofficially dubbed “the Alligator Alcatraz” by its designers. “We’re working at turbo speed to fulfill the president’s goals,” Noem said.
