US witnessed many ICE-related deaths in 2026. Here are their stories

Shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good are two of at least nine deaths related to immigration law enforcement in US.A wreath surrounds an image of Alex Pretti at the makeshift memorial near the site where he was fatally shot by federal agents, in Minneapolis, January 26 [Tim Evans/Reuters]Published On 27 Jan 2026The killing of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good by federal immigration agents this month has shocked the United States, prompting protests across the country and igniting calls for accountability.But Pretti and Good are far from the only deaths linked to immigration law enforcement.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3ICE agents from US set to help with security at Winter Olympics in Italylist 2 of 3Minnesota candidate bows out over Republican response to Pretti shootinglist 3 of 3Who is Greg Bovino, the face of Trump’s Minneapolis crackdown?end of listAt least six immigrants have died in the custody of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency already in 2026, and a seventh person was fatally shot by an off-duty ICE officer.Last year, 32 deaths were reported in ICE custody.While most of the deaths were due to health complications, some of the late detainees’ families have made accusations of abuse and medical neglect against ICE.Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, was killed by immigration officers on Saturday morning in Minneapolis. Good was shot on January 7, also in Minneapolis, after she tried to drive away from federal agents who surrounded her car.Here are the stories of the others whose death is linked to immigration law enforcement:Keith PorterOn New Year’s Eve, an off-duty ICE agent shot Porter, 43, to death in Los Angeles.The exact circumstances of the shooting remain contested, and there are no known videos of the incident.The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described Porter – who was Black – as an “active shooter”, but his family insists that he was merely firing his gun to welcome the new year, which is an illegal but widely observed US tradition.“No parent should ever have to bury their child, and the pain of this loss is something I would not wish on anyone,” Porter’s mother, Franceola Armstrong, said in a statement on an online fundraiser.“My son leaves behind two beautiful daughters, ages 10 and 20. They were his heart. Everything he did, every plan he made, was for them.”[Al Jazeera]No charges have been filed in the case.DHS has pushed to justify the shooting, accusing Porter of shooting at the officer.The department said the agent went outside his apartment complex to investigate the sound of gunshots, and when he encountered Porter, he ordered him to drop his weapon.“When the subject refused to comply, the officer fired defensively with his service weapon at the subject to disarm him. The subject fired at least three rounds at the officer,” DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.The ICE agent was not harmed in the incident.Porter’s family lawyer has raised questions over the DHS account, calling for evidence that the slain father of two fired at the officer.Jamal Tooson, the lawyer, also criticised the ICE agent for confronting Porter with his weapon instead of involving the local police, who are well-trained and familiar with the community.“Had he just stayed in his apartment for five minutes, Keith would be with us,” Tooson said in a news conference.Geraldo Lunas CamposEarlier this month, ICE announced that Cuban immigrant Geraldo Lunas Campos, 55, died on January 3 at the agency’s largest detention facility – Camp East Montana in Texas.Since then, contradicting details have emerged about his death, which a medical examiner has ruled as a homicide – meaning caused by another person.ICE initially said Lunas Campos “became disruptive while in line for medication and refused to return to his assigned dorm” and was placed in segregation.He then became distressed, according to the agency.“Medical staff responded, initiated lifesaving measures, and requested emergency medical services. Lunas was pronounced deceased by EMS,” ICE said in a January 9 statement.The agency repeatedly highlighted Lunas Campos’s criminal record.The authorities later changed their own story, claiming that Lunas Campos tried to kill himself.“Campos violently resisted the security staff and continued to attempt to take his life,” DHS’s McLaughlin said. “During the ensuing struggle, Campos stopped breathing and lost consciousness.”But an autopsy report found that Linas Campos was killed by someone.“Based on the investigative and examination findings, it is my opinion that the cause of death is asphyxia due to neck and torso compression,” Adam Gonzalez, deputy medical examiner for El Paso County, said in the report, according to The Washington Post.“The manner of death is homicide.”Lunas Campos’ three children have filed a legal petition aiming to block the deportation of any detainees who may have witnessed the incident, as they prepare to file a wrongful death lawsuit.“According to an eyewitness to Mr Lunas Campos’s death, guards at the facility choked him to death,” the petition said.Victor Manuel DiazImmigration authorities arrested Nicaraguan immigrant Victor Manuel Diaz on January 6 in Minneapolis as part of their immigration crackdown in Minnesota. Eight days later, he died in ICE custody at Camp East Montana in Texas.“Contract security staff found Diaz unconscious and unresponsive in his room,” ICE said in a statement. “He died of a presumed suicide; however, the official cause of his death remains under investigation.”But Diaz’s family is questioning the government’s story.“I don’t believe he took his life,” Diaz’s brother Yorlan told ABC News. “He was not a criminal; he was looking for a better life and he wanted to help our mother.”The family has also raised concerns over how the authorities are handling the investigation.According to several US media reports, Diaz’s body was transferred to William Beaumont Army Medical Center for an autopsy, instead of the county medical examiner.“This, taking of the body and doing the autopsy report and not letting the medical examiner do it? You’re then having the fox guarding the henhouse,” Randall Kallinen, the family’s lawyer, told the local outlet KTSM.“It was with the federal government where the individual was staying and where he was killed. And now it’s the federal government who is controlling the investigation and the information included in the autopsy report.”Parady LaCambodian immigrant Parady La, 46, had been in the US since 1981. He had come to the US legally as a child but lost his Green Card due to criminal convictions.Immigration authorities arrested him on January 6 and sent him to the Federal Detention Center (FDC) in Philadelphia, where he started experiencing “severe drug withdrawal” symptoms, according to ICE.“The next day, La was found unresponsive in his cell. FDC officers immediately administered CPR and several doses of NARCAN and called for medical assistance,” the US agency said.NARCAN is a drug used for people experiencing a drug overdose, not withdrawals.La was transferred to a hospital and diagnosed with “anoxic brain injury, post-cardiac arrest, shock and multiple organ failures” before he died, ICE said.But La’s family is voicing scepticism about the level of care he received.His nephew, Michael La, said ICE’s version of the events leading to his uncle’s death “didn’t add up”.“As we keep fighting for information, we’re finding out that there’s like levels of information that just become locked, you know?” Michael La told local public radio WHYY. “We’re still fighting for answers and still trying to figure out what’s going on.”Luis Beltran Yanez–CruzA father of three, Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz, 68, had been in the US for more than 20 years when ICE picked him up in New Jersey in November and transferred him to a detention centre in California.