A 27-year-old Cuban immigrant died last Sunday in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Federal Detention Center in Miami, ICE officials reported Friday.
Aled Damien Carbonell-Betancourt was pronounced dead April 12 after an apparent suicide at 7:31 a.m., following what federal authorities described as a medical emergency.
At least 46 people under ICE custody have died since the start of President Donald Trump’s administration in January 2025, according to a count by The Associated Press. ICE officials have reported 18 deaths since the start of the fiscal year, which began Oct. 1, 2025.
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ICE officials said a Federal Detention Center officer found Carbonell-Betancourt in his cell "in what appeared to be a suicide attempt" and then contacted City of Miami Fire Rescue. The first responders were unable to save him.
ICE officials released few details about the circumstances leading to Carbonell-Betancourt's arrest or death. They said he entered the U.S. on October 30, 2024, and was later apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents for being in the country without "valid documents." He was then released to appear before a judge.
Last November, he was arrested for "resisting an officer with violence" and detained at the Miami-Dade County Jail. It's unclear what law enforcement agency arrested him.
Months later — on Feb. 11 — ICE officials took him into federal custody pending a deportation hearing before an immigration judge.
Prolonged detention nationwide has become more common during Trump’s current term. This is partly due to a new policy that generally prohibits immigration judges from releasing detainees while their deportation cases make their way through overburdened courts.
"Carbonell-Betancourt died of a presumed suicide; however, the official cause of death remains under investigation," ICE officials said in their statement.
Following the Cuban immigrant's death, ICE officials said they contacted federal officials with the Department of Homeland Security and the DHS Office of Inspector General. They also notified the Cuban Embassy and the man's family.
"ICE is committed to ensuring that all those in custody reside in safe, secure, and humane environments," ICE officials said. "Comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment individuals arrive and throughout their stay."
