El Hacen Diarra, 35, encountered police late on Wednesday as he was drinking a coffee outside the migrant dorms where he lived, his older brother Ibrahima said on Sunday. "He had come to France to earn a living, now he's gone forever," he told hundreds of supporters at a memorial, after his sibling died in custody in the night of Wednesday to Thursday.
His death also brought the total to at least 22 between October 2024 and September 30, 2025, representing the highest number in 20 years. More than half were Latino, and the total includes the two migrants killed by a sniper at an ICE office in Dallas last month. The record for deaths in ICE custody was set in 2004, a year after the immigration agency's creation. There were 32 reported deaths that year.
ICE's inability to verify claims made by a deported migrant highlights flaws in both their processing and decision-making regarding deportations, raising questions about their procedures.
The memorandum from Customs and Border Protection has eliminated special care provisions for vulnerable individuals, undermining protections for pregnant women and babies in detention.
