Health in Detention: How Conditions in ICE Detention Centers Can Affect the Well-being of Immigrants 

Between 2024 and 2025, the immigrant population detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reached historic levels, exceeding 60,000 people as of September; however, 72 % did not have criminal convictions, according to data from the Transactional Records Access Center (TRAC). 

Behind these figures lies a silent health crisis that has already been highlighted in various investigations: the prolonged detention of immigrants, which not only violates human rights but also exacerbates chronic illnesses, multiplies psychological disorders, and exposes detainees to the physical and mental deterioration of those who remain in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 

In this special report, I will examine this reality in depth. Through the analysis of official figures, academic studies, and recent testimonies, I will provide a comprehensive overview of the health conditions within immigration detention centers in the United States. 

Detention conditions: overcrowding and lack of supervision 

Let’s start with a key aspect for the analysis: a report from the Transactional Records Access Center (TRAC) as of July 2025, found that ICE detention facilities face capacity and resource problems, especially in border states like Texas and Arizona, which translates, in practice, into less access to medical care, insufficient sanitation, and psychological stress. 

To give you some context, TRAC found through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request that, as of June 23, 2025, ICE had 57,861 people in detention nationwide. Although the agency’s contractual capacity remains at 62,913 beds, according to data previously released in April, the occupancy rate at the end of June shows a significant increase compared to the 48,056 people registered on the night of April 13. Simply put, ICE went from utilizing around 76% of its capacity in April to operating much closer to its contracted limit by the end of June, within a system encompassing 181 licensed facilities across the country. 

However, that national figure doesn’t show what’s happening inside each facility. Some centers may have empty beds, while others are full or even over capacity, as stipulated in their contracts. With a clear picture of the conditions faced by immigrants detained in ICE centers, let’s get down to business. Let’s start by reviewing this comparative chart based on a 2025 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA): 

The study published in 2025, conducted with 200 immigrants previously detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who were released under court orders and whose data were analyzed in 2024, yielded revealing data. 

In the study, the majority of participants were men (87.5%), of Latino origin (74.5%), and had an average age of 40. The study aimed to understand how detention affects physical and mental health once people are released. 

The results showed a direct relationship between length of detention and deterioration in health. Mental health was one of the most concerning findings. The perception of «poor or fair» health increased from 30.4% to 49.1%, symptoms of mental illness rose from 21% to 37%, and signs consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) jumped from 34.8% to 59.3%. The study also found that each additional month spent in an ICE facility worsens health: for every 30 extra days, the likelihood of experiencing significant symptoms of mental illness or PTSD increased by approximately 11%, comparable to situations of war, violence, or high-risk incarceration. This demonstrates the severity of the emotional and mental impact of these facilities. 

In other figures, 37% of those detained for long periods presented severe symptoms of psychological distress, compared to 20.7% of those with short stays. A key finding is that almost half of the detained immigrants had health insurance before their arrest (48.5%), indicating that many arrived with prior access to care. However, after their time in ICE facilities, the reported decline in health doubles among those who remain longer. This suggests that the problem is not the initial condition of the individuals, but rather the conditions within the facilities: a system that, far from protecting, exposes the detained population to increasing risks with each additional month in custody. 

What doctors see in patients who were detained 

In addition, an analysis by the scientific journal BMC Public Health, which surveyed 150 healthcare professionals to understand the condition of immigrants after their time in detention centers, yielded compelling results: more than half of them, 85 doctors (57 %), who collectively had seen approximately 1,300 people, reported treating patients whose health problems were directly related to their detention. This figure aligns with another revealing finding: 98 % of the surveyed doctors believe that detention directly impacts their patients’ health, reinforcing the idea that the observed physical and emotional deterioration is not isolated, but rather a systematic pattern. 

Among other findings, the professionals described several common problems. The vast majority, 75 (88 %), reported that many of their patients experienced delays in receiving medical care or medication while detained. Another 39 (46 %) confirmed that they treated individuals who developed new or acute illnesses, such as infections or injuries, during their time in the centers. Furthermore, 50 physicians (59%) observed a worsening of chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, anxiety, or depression. Adding to this concern is another finding: only 44.7 % of physicians always ask their patients if they have been detained, implying that a significant proportion of cases of deterioration associated with ICE may be going undetected by healthcare systems. 

Another important finding is that many of them did not report these cases because they are unaware, they can do so (43.6 %) or are unfamiliar with the reporting procedure (45.5 %). This demonstrates gaps in information and training, even among those who directly care for individuals affected by detention. Furthermore, the fact that nearly half of the physicians lack clear protocols for identifying or reporting detention-related harm highlights a structural problem: not only do ICE facilities fail to guarantee adequate care, but there is also a lack of a clinical network prepared to address the harm these individuals bring with them upon release. 

Low vaccination coverage and gaps in healthcare 

This picture is complemented by an analysis published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) examined the circulation of three vaccine-preventable diseases: influenza, mumps, and hepatitis A, within 20 ICE-run immigration detention centers, with data up to 2023 and published in 2025. The results show that these centers operate as transmission spaces where outbreaks are frequent and affect a considerable number of detainees. 

2,035 cases of influenza and 252 cases of mumps were documented. and 486 cases of hepatitis A. Although the figures vary by disease, they all share a pattern: those affected were mainly men (between 84% and 93% depending on the pathology) and had average ages between 33 and 39 years, which reflects that even young and healthy people are exposed to conditions that facilitate contagion. 

Monthly illness rates reinforce this vulnerability. On average, the centers reported 17.3 cases of influenza and 1.5 of mumps. and there were 6.0 cases of hepatitis A per 100,000 person-months, but with extremely high peaks. In some centers, influenza reached rates of 720 cases per 100,000, while hepatitis A peaked at 273 cases per 100,000, indicating explosive outbreaks that were difficult to control in crowded, enclosed spaces. 

The study also describes a seasonal pattern that increases the risk. Influenza, for example, peaked in December, while its lowest incidence occurred in September. Hepatitis A peaked in July and reached its lowest point in November. These patterns suggest that healthcare facilities lack adequate prevention strategies during peak transmission times of the year. 

One of the most relevant findings is the magnitude of the outbreaks. In the case of influenza, 85.5% of total cases occurred within outbreaks, with 79 identified in 15 facilities. Mumps accounted for 16 cases in 8 centers, while hepatitis A had 33 cases in 11 centers, although in this disease many infections (67.5 %) occurred outside of identified outbreaks, suggesting possible underreporting. 

These results reveal that detention centers function as environments of epidemiological risk, where overcrowding, constant rotation of people between units, limited ventilation and barriers to accessing preventive measures turn totally preventable diseases into recurring threats. 

New complaints worsen the health crisis in ICE centers 

In 2025, new allegations began to emerge confirming that the crisis in ICE detention centers not only persists, but has intensified during this year. 

Three recent reports, one from Human Rights Watch (HRW), the American Civil Liberties Association (ACLU), and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), reveal serious abuses that directly affect the physical and mental health of detainees. 

Inhumane conditions in Florida centers 

A Human Rights Watch report, published in July 2025, documented alarming conditions at three detention centers in Florida: Krome North, the Broward Transitional Center (BTC), and the Federal Detention Center (FDC) in Miami. According to the findings, detainees reported being transported in handcuffs on buses without water or food, and with non-functioning toilets. 

In addition, in the detention centers, some slept on concrete floors without beds and under constant fluorescent light; many were deprived of medical care, reporting denial of essential medicines, delays and lack of follow-up after care in hospitals. 

There are also reports of isolation as punishment: people who asked for psychological or medical support were sent to solitary confinement, and according to the report, at least two recent deaths may be connected to that medical negligence. 

Neglect towards pregnant women 

In October 2025, the American Civil Liberties Association (ACLU) denounced medical neglect for pregnant women detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 

Specifically, the organization collected testimonies from women who were shackled and denied prenatal vitamins, adequate medical care, or were placed in isolation, regardless of their pregnant status. 

According to the ACLU, some of them reported that their requests for medical help were ignored even in emergencies, such as during a miscarriage, and denounced poor nutrition, delays in assistance, and non-consensual medical procedures. 

Following these findings, the ACLU and other organizations demanded the immediate release of pregnant women in ICE custody and an urgent improvement in medical care within the facilities. 

Rise of solitary confinement 

A recent report by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), based on a study by Harvard experts, noted a sharp increase in the use of isolation in the first months of the second term in 2025. 

According to the report, more than 10,000 people were placed in solitary confinement during the first months of 2025. Specifically, the data indicates that between February and March 2025, the number of people in isolation grew by 6.5% monthly, more than double the rate recorded in 2024 under the previous administration. 

In addition, the most vulnerable people, such as those with mental health problems, disabilities, or who are part of the LGBTQ+ community, were isolated for longer than in previous years, and they warn that isolation is being used as punishment, not just as a safety measure. 

And it is precisely because, despite the new rules that require ICE to report all use of the lockdown, the data remains incomplete or inconsistent, which makes monitoring difficult. 

Overall, the study leaves one clear conclusion: immigration detention not only affects people while they are inside the centers, but also afterwards, when they return to their communities with medical conditions that could have been prevented or treated in time. 

A system that makes us sick: immigration detention as a health risk 

Taken together, all the reviewed evidence shows that immigration detention in the United States has become a space where people’s health and dignity are constantly at risk. The data are compelling: there is a clear correlation between length of detention and health problems; nearly half of those detained for six months or more rated their overall health as «poor or fair,» compared to only 30.4% of those detained for less time. 

Mental health was one of the most troubling findings. Among those detained for extended periods, 37 % exhibited severe symptoms of psychological distress, compared to 20.7% of those with short stays. And in the case of post-traumatic stress, the differences were even more stark: nearly 6 out of 10 people (59.3%) with long detentions showed signs consistent with PTSD, compared to just 34.8% among those detained for less than six months. In other words, the longer a person remains in ICE custody, the more their emotional health deteriorates. 

But the damage isn’t limited to the psychological. Doctors treating people released from these centers have documented patterns that leave no room for doubt. Eighty-eight percent of the healthcare professionals surveyed reported delays or interruptions in essential medical treatments, 59% saw a worsening of chronic illnesses, and almost half (46 %) treated cases of new illnesses that arose within the centers. In total, these doctors have treated more than 1,300 people directly affected by their time in detention. Most alarmingly, 98 % of the doctors agree that being detained negatively impacts physical and mental health, but many are unaware that they can report it or how to do so, highlighting a lack of oversight even after release. 

And while these studies show the damage accumulated over years, the 2025 reports make it clear that the crisis is not only continuing: it is worsening. In Florida, HRW documented cases of people forced to sleep on the floor under lights left 24 hours a day, transported in handcuffs without water or food, or without access to essential medications. There are even reports of recent deaths potentially linked to medical negligence.  

For its part, the ACLU denounced a pattern of neglect toward pregnant women, including a lack of prenatal vitamins, delays in emergency care, and the use of isolation despite their condition. And the ICIJ, along with Harvard experts, revealed an explosive increase in solitary confinement: more than 10,000 people isolated in the first few months of 2025, with a monthly growth rate of 6.5 %, more than double that of 2024. Among those spending the most time isolated are people with mental health problems, disabilities, or members of the LGBTQ+ community, which multiplies the harm. 

The evidence is overwhelming and converges on a single conclusion: immigration detention is not a space for temporary custody, but rather an environment of emotional distress and, in some cases, risk of death. A system that operates beyond its capacity in dozens of centers, experiences constant outbreaks of preventable diseases, and maintains practices that violate basic human rights standards cannot be considered a safe space. 

Today we know that what happens inside these centers doesn’t end when people leave. Detention leaves lasting scars that affect people for months or years: anxiety, depression, trauma, uncontrolled illnesses, lack of access to treatment, miscarriages, and, tragically, preventable deaths. All of this indicates that the current system not only fails to protect the health of migrants but puts it at risk. 

Therefore, understanding immigration detention as a social determinant of health is fundamental, and in the face of a system that continues to grow, with more than 60,000 people detained, 72 % without criminal convictions, the urgency of a profound reform is more evident than ever.