Senator Murphy's ICE death claim clashes with data showing lower custody fatality rate

Sen. Chris Murphy used his X account to condemn what he called a moral stain, asserting that 52 people died in ICE detention during President Donald Trump’s second term and highlighting unsanitary conditions and a lack of lawyer access. Just Facts Daily’s review shows the average annual ICE fatality rate under Trump was 70 per 100,000, compared with about 326 per 100,000 for similarly aged Americans, indicating a lower risk for detainees.

Additionally, deaths tied to lax immigration enforcement and illegal border crossings were dozens of times higher than ICE deaths. Murphy’s statistic derives from a Human Rights Watch analysis that includes all deaths in ICE facilities, regardless of cause, and he provided no firsthand evidence from the Texas center he was barred from visiting. The article also questions Human Rights Watch’s credibility and notes Murphy’s alignment with the Democratic Socialists of America, suggesting his claim inflates the severity of ICE conditions.