19-year-old Mexican migrant becomes youngest to die in ICE detention in Trump’s second term

A 19-year-old Mexican migrant died earlier this week in federal immigration detention, Immigration and Customs Enforcement said.

Royer Perez-Jimenez died on Monday at the Glades County Detention Center in southern Florida, where he had been held since Feb. 26.

He was the youngest person to have died in ICE custody since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, during which the president has made an aggressive mass deportation program central to his agenda. Perez-Jimenez was the fourth person to die in federal immigration custody this month.

According to a statement from ICE, a detention officer found Perez-Jimenez “unconscious and unresponsive” at around 2:34 a.m ET. He was pronounced dead 17 minutes later.

ICE said he died of a presumed suicide, but his cause of death is under investigation.

Perez-Jimenez was arrested by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office on Jan. 22 and charged with felony fraud for impersonation and resisting an officer. He was transferred to ICE custody on Feb. 21 and moved to Glades County Detention Center five days later.

“At intake, Perez was evaluated by medical staff. He denied any behavioral health issues or concerns and answered ‘no’ to all suicide screening questions,” ICE said.

At least 13 people have died in ICE detention this year alone, according to MS NOW’s review of the agency’s records.