Deaths in Florida ICE facilities were the highest in 2025 since federal reporting began

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla — Six people died in Florida while being held in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in 2025, marking the highest death toll in the state since reporting began back in 2018, according to a report from the agency. One more person has already died this year, as immigration enforcement in Florida and the U.S. has seen significant investment.

The deaths of inmates within immigration enforcement custody, including the death of Marie Ange Blaise, from Haiti, who ICE says had no criminal record, set an outstanding year of immigrant deaths in the Sunshine State.

Nationwide, 32 immigrants died while being held by ICE in detention centers in 2025, some of which are privately managed. One of those privately-managed facilities is the Broward Transitional Detention Center, which is managed by GEO Group, a Boca Raton-based private prison company that saw a spike in its stock market value the day President Donald Trump won the 2024 election, according to Yahoo Finance.

Based on ICE reports, Texas saw the highest number of immigrant inmate deaths in 2025, with eight, followed by Florida with six. Combined, they make up almost half of the reported deaths. Deaths nationwide break down as follows, according to ICE:

Deaths in ICE facilities in 2025

• Texas: 8 deaths
• Florida: 6 deaths
• California: 3 deaths
• Arizona: 3 deaths
• Pennsylvania: 2 deaths
• Georgia: 2 deaths
• Missouri: 2 deaths
• New York: 1 death
• New Jersey: 1 death
• Mississippi: 1 death
• Michigan: 1 death
• Virginia: 1 death
• Puerto Rico: 1 death

Before 2025, Florida reported fewer yearly deaths of immigrants in ICE custody. For comparison, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, three immigrants died in ICE custody in the state.

According to the ICE inmate deaths tracker, 2025 saw more inmate deaths than in all the previous years combined, since 2018, the first year that the tracker reports. In 2023, ICE reported one death in the Sunshine State. For the years 2024, 2022, 2021, 2019 and 2018, Florida saw no immigrant deaths while in ICE custody.

When confirming the number of deaths with ICE, a spokesperson told 10 Tampa Bay News that "that tracker isn’t correct," adding that "you can search through the press releases and get the most up-to-date information."

"Congressional requirements in the DHS Appropriations Bill (2018) obligate ICE to make public all reports regarding in custody deaths within 90 days. Each detained alien death, beginning with Fiscal Year 2018, is provided in the drop down below," the ICE death tracker states.

How immigrants died in ICE custody

ICE detainee death reports show that in Florida, the six immigrants who died in custody in 2025 experienced significant medical emergencies, most involving chronic health conditions, seizures or heart complications.

In multiple cases, ICE records describe seizures, elevated blood pressure, chest pain or breathing difficulties in the days or hours before death.

Jan. 23, 2025: Ruiz-Guillen's death

Genry Donaldo Ruiz-Guillen, 29, a construction worker from Honduras, died in the morning of Jan. 23, 2025, according to ICE, at the Larkin Community Hospital Palm Springs, in Hialeah.

In the detainee death report, ICE says Ruiz-Guillen came into the U.S. at an unknown date. He was first detained "upon his illegal entry" in Texas in 2023 and later paroled in July of that year.

In 2024, Ruiz-Guillen was arrested and charged with battery and battery by strangulation in what Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office records say was an argument turned physical with his romantic partner of 2 years, on June 2, 2024. Prior to this, ICE records show Ruiz-Guillen had no criminal history.

Ruiz-Guillen at first pleaded not guilty on the charges, but ultimately pleaded guilty on Oct. 17, 2024, court records show. According to the detainee death report, Ruiz-Guillen was then "released from HCJ to ICE custody at Pinellas County Jail, in Clearwater."

According to the ICE detainee death report, Ruiz-Guillen showed “no medical issues identified” while in Hillsborough County Jail custody. After transferring to ICE custody at the Krome Service Processing Center in Miami-Dade County, staff responded to a Nov. 5, 2024, medical emergency involving elevated blood pressure and heart rate, followed by repeated incidents, falls and documented seizures.

ICE records note that Ruiz-Guillen experienced disorientation and was hospitalized at Larkin South Community Hospital. He was later diagnosed with multiple serious conditions. On Jan. 23, Ruiz-Guillen experienced breathing difficulties; despite CPR and life-saving measures, he was pronounced dead, the report states.

Univision reported in March of 2025 that Ruiz-Guillen's mother was able to communicate with him in December 2024, stating that he told her he had been fainting. She didn't receive another update about him until Feb. 24, when authorities told her that her son had died.

Feb. 20, 2025: Chernyak's death

Maksym Chernyak, 44, came from Ukraine in 2024. He was sponsored and got approval to become a Humanitarian Parolee in June of that year. Chernyak died at HCA Kendall Hospital in Miami on Feb. 20, 2025, ICE said in a statement.

According to Chernyak's detainee death report, ICE first encountered the Ukrainian national on Jan. 26, 2025, after he was arrested and detained at the Broward County Jail in Fort Lauderdale. His report states he had been charged with battery with bodily harm, a second-degree felony. He was released into ICE custody on Feb. 2, 2025, and transferred to the Krome Service and Processing Center. Prior to this, he did not have a criminal history, according to ICE.

His death came after a Feb. 18, 2025, medical emergency "for seizure-like activity and observed Mr. Chernyak vomiting and shaking," the report states. He was then taken to a clinic and then to the emergency room.

Chernyak's detainee death report shows that he struggled for hours. From 3 a.m. to 3 p.m., he had seizures every several minutes and kept vomiting "with a mild amount of blood," until he was taken by emergency crews to the HCA Florida Kendall Hospital in Miami, "with his condition unchanged." Around 9 a.m., Chernyak's condition was described as critical, and a tomography indicated "a possible hemorrhagic stroke," the report states. At 3 p.m., the report says "hospital staff inserted an intracranial pressure device and placed Mr. Chernyak on a brain death protocol."

For the following days, the detainee's death report states that his neurological condition kept getting worse and his blood pressure became unstable, until Feb. 20, when hospital staff pronounced him dead.

April 29, 2025: Blaise's death

Marie Ange Blaise, 44, from Haiti, never stepped on the U.S. continental land as a free immigrant. According to ICE, she was detained on Feb. 12, 2025, at the U.S. Virgin Islands "while attempting to board a flight to Charlotte, North Carolina," ICE said in a press statement. Two months later, she died on April 25, 2025, ICE records show.

The Haitian woman had no criminal history, according to ICE's detainee death report.

Blaise, after being taken into ICE custody, was first taken to San Juan, Puerto Rico, then, on Feb. 21, to the Richwood Correctional Center in Louisiana, and ultimately on April 5, to the Broward Transitional Center in Pompano Beach, Fla., operated by GEO Group.

According to her detainee death report, Blaise had a history of hypertension and elevated blood pressure. The records show that throughout the weeks that she was moved throughout the U.S., she had issues with elevated blood pressure, and ICE says she was at times refusing to take her medication. On March 5, 2025, Blaise was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease and had reported a headache that had lasted five days.

Once she was taken to the Broward Transitional Center, she was cleared for general population, records show. She continued to show elevated blood pressure.

"On April 25, 2025, at approximately 8:35 p.m., custody staff announced a medical emergency at Ms. Blaise's dormitory," her detainee death report states. It describes how Blaise was found on the ground in her cell. She was unresponsive and had no detectable pulse. "An RN [registered nurse] performed a sternal rub, with no response, and administered an ammonia inhalant; however, Ms. Blaise remained unresponsive."

Six minutes after the emergency began, staff called 911 and began CPR. Once emergency crews arrived, almost 20 minutes after she had been found unresponsive at the Broward Transitional Center, they continued life-saving measures, the report states. At 9:03 p.m., "the EMS personnel's supervising physician instructed them to cease all life-saving measures and declared Ms. Blaise deceased."

June 23, 2025: Noviello's death

Johnny Noviello, 49, was a green-card holder who moved from Canada in 1988. He became a lawful permanent resident in 1991, according to ICE records. He died at the Bureau of Prisons Federal Detention Center on June 23, 2025, per an ICE press statement.

According to ICE's detainee death report, on Oct. 12, 2023, Noviello was convicted in Volusia County "for the offenses of racketeering, trafficking in Oxycodone 7-14 Grams, trafficking in illegal drugs 4 to 14 Grams, trafficking in Hydrocodone, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device to facilitate commission of a crime," the report states, noting he was sentenced to 12 months in prison.

ICE assumed his custody on May 15, 2025. He was taken to the Krome Service Processing Center in Miami, records show.

At the detention center, ICE documented that Noviello had "diagnoses of unspecified convulsions and hypertension, and placed him on anticonvulsant and blood pressure medications," the report states. On May 19, the report says, he was taken to a Federal Detention Center in Miami, where he showed an elevated heart rate and abnormal blood pressure the next day. According to the report, he refused a health history and a physical exam.

Later, in June, Noviello reported feeling sad and depressed and refused to go to a clinic for evaluation.

"Noviello maintained poor personal hygiene and stated he had not eaten in 'a while,'" as stated on June 9, 2025. Days later, on June 23, Noviello was found unresponsive, prompting a medical emergency.

Medical staff attempted CPR and used a defibrillator on him. Then, they called 911, the report states. He was transported on a stretcher to a medical clinic. The report adds that he had an absence of a pulse during the emergency. The City of Miami Fire Rescue Department arrived 15 minutes after the emergency began and tried to save him for 30 minutes until they pronounced him dead.

June 29, 2025: Perez's death

Isidro Perez, 75, arrived in the U.S. in 1966 from Cuba, making him a long-time resident. Immigration enforcement authorities detained him in Key Largo on June 5, 2025. He died weeks later on June 26, 2025, according to his detainee death report.

Perez had two previous convictions and sentences, per ICE's records. Both were for possession of a controlled substance in Florida. One was from 1981 and the other from 1984. Afterwards, his report shows he had no criminal history.

On June 6, 2025, he was taken into ICE's custody at the Krome Service Processing Center. ICE states he was charged with inadmissibility "as an alien present without admission or parole," despite him having lived in the U.S. for roughly six decades.

"The RN documented normal vital signs, right foot swelling with pain, history of hypertension (HTN), coronary artery disease (CAD), stent placement three years ago, upper and lower back pain, and current use of HTN and heart medication," his detainee death report stated on June 6, 2025.

During the following weeks, Perez complained of flu-like symptoms, and staff documented that he was wheezing with a cough. He was also evaluated and was diagnosed with acute bronchitis, according to the records. Perez later "received critical care for myocardial infarction," commonly known as a heart attack, ICE states in his report. He was later admitted to the medical housing unit for observation and given medicine.

On June 27, the detainee death report says Perez complained about a headache, then chest pain. Staff performed an electrocardiogram and gave him nitroglycerin before eventually calling 911. Staff gave him oxygen, but as minutes passed, his oxygen saturation began to drop.

According to the report, the incident began at 6:54 p.m. with a headache. At 7:11 p.m., 911 was called, but the emergency team did not arrive until 7:31 p.m. Fourteen minutes later, as the EMS team was treating him, per the report, Perez became unresponsive. CPR was performed on him, and he was taken to an emergency room at HCA Florida Kendall Hospital. At 8:42 p.m., an ER physician pronounced him dead.

Oct. 11, 2025: Saleh's death

Hasan Ali Moh'D Saleh, 67, came from Jordan into the U.S. He died at the Larkin Community Hospital in Miami on Oct. 11, 2025, according to an ICE statement.

According to ICE, Saleh came to the U.S. on March 8, 1994, on a tourist visa. He was convicted in Fort Lauderdale of welfare fraud that year and sentenced to six months' probation. Then, in July of that year, he was granted a green card, according to ICE.

On March 20, 2018, according to his detainee death report, Saleh was convicted again in Florida "of conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, food stamp and wire fraud." Saleh was sentenced to 24 months of confinement.

Saleh was taken into custody by immigration officials on Sept. 14, 2025, and was detained at the Krome Service Processing Center in Miami, records show.

Saleh had multiple chronic conditions, according to the report, including diabetes, coronary artery disease and chronic kidney disease requiring dialysis. He was eventually placed in medical housing and received dialysis three times a week.

On Oct. 10, the report says that he developed fever, nausea and vomiting and was sent to Larkin Community Hospital, where doctors diagnosed pulmonary edema and a bloodstream infection linked to his dialysis catheter. Despite intensive treatment, he was pronounced dead the following evening, the report states.