New York Attorney General Letitia James is leading a coalition of 23 attorneys general calling on federal immigration officials to reverse a policy that ends investigations and public reporting of deaths that occur shortly after people are released from ICE custody.
James and the coalition sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, arguing the policy reduces transparency and accountability as reports of unsafe conditions in ICE detention facilities continue to rise.
The coalition is urging DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Acting ICE Director David Venturella to rescind the policy and restore prior reporting standards.
"This new policy is a blatant attempt to hide dangerous conditions inside ICE detention centers from the public," James said. "ICE must ensure that every person in its custody receives basic medical care, safe conditions, and humane treatment."
According to James' office, ICE detention standards require facilities to conduct health screenings, provide necessary medical and mental health care, and maintain safe and sanitary conditions. Congress has required ICE to investigate and report deaths that occur during detention, and ICE directors previously could request reviews of deaths involving people who died within 30 days of release from ICE custody.
James and the coalition said ending those investigations and reports could reduce accountability for detention conditions. They also warned the change could create an incentive for facilities to release critically ill or mistreated detainees shortly before death to avoid scrutiny associated with a death in custody.
The attorney general's office said the policy comes as deaths in ICE custody have risen to historic levels. Since January 2025, 51 detainees have died in ICE custody, including Ismael Ayala-Uribe, a 39-year-old man who died from septic shock caused by an untreated abscess after his request for medical treatment was ignored, according to the release.
The coalition said more than half of the deaths occurred in nine of the more than 220 active immigration detention facilities. ICE's Office of Detention Oversight found deficient medical care at five of those nine facilities, according to James' office.
Attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia joined James in the letter.
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