Watchdog Group Sues ICE Over Rising Deaths in Custody, Seeks Autopsy Records
A nonpartisan watchdog group, American Oversight, has filed a lawsuit against U.S. immigration authorities, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, demands access to records such as autopsy reports and internal reviews related to deaths in federal immigration custody. This legal action comes as the number of fatalities in ICE custody has increased, with 51 deaths reported since President Trump returned to office. The lawsuit claims that the agencies have not responded to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests submitted in April, which sought detailed records on deaths in detention, including autopsies and incident reports. The lawsuit argues that the agencies have 'constructively exhausted' administrative processes by failing to respond within the legally required time frames.