PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release
August 13, 2026
Contact: press@alianzaamericas.org / (773) 638-4278
On July 18, José Chajon-Raxon, a Guatemalan man, was detained by ICE in Delaney Hall, NJ. On July 19, José suffered a medical emergency that the nurse described as seizures. José was rushed to a hospital. On July 22, ICE released José and placed him in the care of the hospital. José died at an unknown later date. Only now have these related events come to light. ICE cannot attempt to distance itself from José’s death.
In January 2026, ICE ended the requirement—established by the previous administration—to report on individuals who had been in immigration custody and died within the following 30 days. This requirement provided critical transparency into conditions in immigration custody and release that could contribute to serious health consequences or death. Reports during the first year of the Trump administration revealed heartbreaking stories of people who died in detention or after being released, without consideration for their medical history, disabilities, cold temperatures, or how they would travel back to their place of residence.
Instead of addressing and improving detention and release conditions and ensuring adequate access to medical care and treatment for people detained by ICE, the government is limiting the reporting requirements and releasing individuals with serious health conditions so that their deaths are not counted as deaths of people in immigration custody. This is a reprehensible practice that seeks to evade the responsibility of government officials. It is not that fewer people are dying, but rather that ICE will not count or report those deaths. Even if the event leading up to the death is directly linked to immigration detention, ICE seeks to distance itself from such cases.
The U.S. Congress approved massive budget allocations for ICE. It now has a duty to exert political pressure and oversight over how ICE spends those funds. That is the responsibility of the legislative branch. ICE cannot limit what it reports or attempt to shirk its responsibility toward a sick person by leaving them with a serious health condition in the care of a hospital, or—worse still—releasing them without assistance, knowing they may die on the street. ICE’s responsibility does not end with the hasty release of a person, with the sole intention of distancing itself from someone who is in a serious health condition or in a vulnerable situation. Members of Congress, we ask that you exercise active political oversight over ICE.
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Alianza Americas is a transnational network of migrant-led organizations in the United States. We advocate for social justice, equity, and human rights in the Americas.
