Migrant deaths in federal custody hit an all-time high this year, as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) executes President Donald Trump’s anti-immigration policies across the nation. Between October 2025 — when the federal fiscal year begins — and April 2026, at least 29 people died in DHS custody according to government data, “already surpassing 2004’s toll of 28, the previous record,” said NPR.Suicides in particular have exploded at an “alarming” rate, said The Associated Press. With tens of thousands of migrants still concentrated in DHS camps across the country, mortality rates have become a regular feature of the agency’s current tenure.
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