1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

As documented in an April 21, 2026 report by Democracy Now! and a March 2026 analysis by KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation), the second Trump administration’s expansion of immigration detention has led to a catastrophic rise in deaths. With at least 17 people dying in just the first 16 weeks of 2026 (an average of one per week) and 46 total deaths since January 2025, we are witnessing a public health massacre. These reports confirm that deaths are not merely “accidents” but the direct result of a system that prioritizes incarceration over human life. From the homicide of Geraldo Lunas Campos, who was asphyxiated by guards as he pleaded for medication, to the suicides of those denied mental health care, to the deaths of 21 people under the age of 45 from treatable conditions—ICE is a death sentence. We demand the immediate abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the dismantling of the for-profit detention system. The recent reports of skyrocketing deaths in ICE custody make it unequivocally clear: this agency cannot be reformed. It must be ended. 1. The Death Toll is Genocide by Neglect. In 2025, deaths in ICE custody exceeded any year in the last two decades, with 33 confirmed deaths. In 2026, we are on track to surpass that record, with 17 deaths already reported—including the homicide of Geraldo Lunas Campos, who was tackled and asphyxiated by guards. KFF reports that 32 of these deaths were people with existing medical conditions who died because ICE failed to provide basic care, including a man whose chest pain was ignored for weeks and another who was denied seizure medication. 2. Overcrowding and Contract Killings. The administration has expanded detention to over 68,000 people (a 70% increase) by converting industrial warehouses into jails. Contractors are failing. The KFF report notes that payments to medical contractors lapsed, leading to lost prescriptions and treatments. Children and pregnant people are being detained illegally, denied pediatricians, and subjected to excessive restraints while denied prenatal care. 3. Impunity Prevents Accountability. ICE lies about causes of death (ruling a homicide a “suicide”). Congress has failed to stop the funding of these death camps. The system is inherently violent. No amount of oversight can fix an agency whose sole purpose is to cage human beings. We demand that our elected officials: Immediately cease all funding for ICE detention operations, including contracts with private prisons and local jails. Vote to abolish ICE and transfer any necessary humanitarian functions (non-enforcement) to community-based organizations or agencies without arrest powers. Establish a federal independent prosecutor to investigate the 46 recent deaths for criminal negligence and homicide. Release all non-criminal detainees and halt all mass detention pending the shutdown of facilities. There is no humane way to run a concentration camp. The blood of 46 people since 2025 is on the hands of every official who votes to fund this system. We cannot reform this agency. ABOLISH ICE now.