Mexican Teen Migrant Dies in Florida Jail

MIAMI — Royer Perez-Jimenez, a 19-year-old Mexican migrant, died at the Glades County Detention Center in Florida on Monday, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). NPR and CBC News reported the death.

Presumed Suicide, Investigation Ongoing

ICE stated that Perez-Jimenez’s death is presumed to be a suicide, but an official cause of death is still under investigation. The Office of The District 21 Medical Examiner has not yet released an autopsy report, and the Florida prosecutor’s office has deferred information requests to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Attorney General’s Office.

Part of a Growing Trend

Perez-Jimenez’s death marks the 46th reported death of a person in ICE custody since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s administration in January 2025, according to a count by The Associated Press. He is the second person to die in ICE custody this week, following the death of an Afghan immigrant in a Texas hospital. Since the start of this year, 13 immigrants have died although in ICE custody. Perez-Jimenez is the youngest to die in custody since the beginning of Trump’s second term.

Mexican Government Calls for Investigation

The Mexican government issued a statement on Thursday calling for a prompt and thorough U.S. Investigation into the death, deeming such incidents “unacceptable” and seeking measures to prevent future occurrences. Officials from the Mexican Consulate in Miami have requested documentation related to the case.

Details of the Incident

According to ICE, officers found Perez-Jimenez “unconscious and unresponsive” at 2:34 a.m. On Monday at the Glades County Detention Center in Moore Haven, Florida. Staff immediately initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and fire rescue deputies arrived to provide further life-sustaining interventions. He was pronounced dead at 2:51 a.m., seventeen minutes after being found.

Arrest and Detention

Perez-Jimenez was arrested on January 22 by Volusia County sheriff’s officers and charged with a felony for impersonation and resisting an officer. However, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office stated that a search of its system did not show any record of his arrest. He was transferred to ICE custody a month later.

Concerns About Detention Conditions

The Glades County Detention Center, where Perez-Jimenez was held, was previously shut down by the Biden administration but reopened under the Trump administration. Florida is known for its alignment with the Trump administration’s immigration policies and houses several detention centers, some of which have been subject to reports of poor conditions, including issues with food quality and sanitation.

Carly Pérez Fernández, communications director at Detention Watch Network, stated, “Immigration detention system deprives people of freedom, isolates people away from loved ones, and subjects people to abysmal conditions.”