As Predicted, ICE Reports Another Detention Death While Congress Does Nothing: 2nd This Week, 13th This Year, 42nd Under Trump

Detention deaths occurring about once every four days. Call Rep. Scott Franklin and Glades County Sheriff's Office until we get answers, contact information available below.

Royer Perez-Jimenez, a 19-year-old Mexican national, was pronounced dead at 2:51 a.m. on March 16, 2026 at the Glades County Detention Center in Moore Haven, Florida. He was able to commit suicide in a detention facility well known for its systemic failures, which the Biden administration shut down and the Trump administration recklessly reopened. Royer is the second person to die in ICE custody this week after Afghanistan War Veteran Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal, the 13th since the start of the year in January, and the 42nd person to die in ICE custody during the Trump administration. Despite the now predictable number of detention deaths—a steady rate of one every 6 days—Congress does absolutely nothing to investigate the loss of life under its watch, ICE continues to minimize and ignore the deaths of migrants in its custody, and Trump’s supporters mock these deaths on social media.

On Monday, I published a map of detention deaths that showed a high concentration of detained deaths in South Florida that would have alerted any civil servant with a conscience or any elected official with a shred of integrity and responsibility to at least look into the conditions in these facilities. I am not aware of any investigations that have taken place.

This is not a call for open borders, a demand for “amnesty,” or a rallying cry to “Abolish ICE.” This is not complicated or controversial. I am simply asking Congress to take seriously the death of people in ICE’s care and custody. ICE is an agency for which Congress is obligated to provide accountability and oversight, particularly when that agency is unable or unwilling to police itself—such as now.

Barely 48 hours ago, I wrote:

“At this rate, at least one more immigrant will die in detention before many Americans go to church again on Sunday. Death in detention is no longer a shocking rarity that drew genuine concern from the agency. Death in detention becoming a predictable and normalized part of ICE operations while Congress and most of the American public appears unaware or indifferent.”

And here we are, as predicated. In the past three weeks, the rate of detention deaths has increased to about one every four days. So, in fact, there may still be yet another death this week before Sunday morning.

The Glades County Detention Center has a reputation for dangerous detention practices. ICE itself shut this facility down in 2022 for failing to meet detention standards. When ICE paused its use of Glades during the Biden administration, the agency cited "persistent ongoing concerns related to the provision of detainee medical care" and stated that any future use would depend on fully addressing conditions that did not meet standards. A December 2025 report documented years of systemic environmental harm, physical abuse, racial violence against Black detained people, retaliatory punishment, and the unlawful deletion of surveillance footage. Then, in April 2025, the Trump administration reinstated the contract for up to 500 beds as part of its push to expand detention capacity for mass deportation. ICE offered no evidence that anything had changed.

This facility is located in Florida’s 18th congressional district and represented in the House by Scott Franklin, a fellow Navy veteran who, one hopes, has the integrity to listen to the concerns of the American people. Light up his inboxes, phone lines, and social media until he does his job and looks into the conditions at this facility. If you’ve been waiting for the time to take direction action, wait no longer: act now. Demand accountability. Do not stop until you get real answers. I’m calling on every single one of you to press for oversight and accountability from elected officials until we get it.

• Scott Franklin’s Instagram.

• Scott Franklin’s Facebook account.

• Scott Franklin’s Twitter account.

• Scott Franklin’s Congressional office number: (202) 225-1252.

And if Scott Franklin refuses to take action, go to the facility if you need to, talk to the Sheriff (who is also elected), or other local officials.

• Email the sheriff at: Public_Sheriff@gladessheriff.org.

• Call the sheriff at: 863-946-1600.

• Call the County Manager: 877-946-6000.

Glades County Detention Center on Google Maps.

The searchable and sortable table below includes 42 known detention deaths since the start of the Trump administration. See previous posts at austinkocher.substack.com/deaths for more explanation about what is included here and what isn’t. The ICE announcement is available here.