Deaths in ICE Detention Centers in Florida Raise Concerns Over Medical Care

Recent fatalities among immigrants held at the Krome North Service Processing Center in Miami have sparked significant concern and scrutiny regarding the healthcare provided to undocumented individuals under the custody of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). An investigative report by the Miami Herald reveals that between December and April, four individuals died in immigrant detention centers across Florida, accounting for half of all deaths under ICE custody during the fiscal year 2025. The journalists accessed over a hundred pages of autopsies, toxicology reports, and death certificates, as well as available medical histories of the deceased immigrants. Subsequently, nine medical experts reviewed the documentation and suggested that these deaths were likely preventable.

The Herald's investigation highlights the case of Maksym Chernyak, a 44-year-old Ukrainian who fled his war-torn country, only to suffer a debilitating stroke after his arrival at Krome North. The response from officials was alarmingly delayed, taking over 40 minutes to call emergency services. By the time a physician assessed Chernyak, he had already sustained irreversible brain damage, and he passed away two days later. Dr. Altaf Saadi, a neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and an associate professor at Harvard University, emphasized that prompt response was critical in this situation. “It was a neurological emergency—someone unresponsive after a seizure—and for 45 minutes, no medical professional activated 911,” she stated.

Chernyak's initial medical exam at Krome indicated "normal" values upon his entry, but his blood pressure, which was slightly elevated, continued to rise over the following two weeks, pointing to hypertension, a likely cause of strokes. On the day of his stroke, he was treated for intoxication, despite being in a controlled environment for nearly a month without substance use. Katie Blankenship, the family attorney, confirmed that Chernyak's widow intends to file a wrongful death lawsuit. “I am 100% sure that if it weren’t for the conditions he was in, if it weren’t for this injustice, he would still be alive,” commented Oksana Tarasiuk, his partner.

Additional Deaths Raise Alarm

Another incident involved a 29-year-old Honduran man detained at Krome, who died due to “complications from schizoaffective disorder,” according to forensic reports. Genry Ruiz-Guillén was transferred to multiple hospitals in December as his symptoms worsened. After more than a month at Krome, where he experienced seizures and confusion, he was moved to three different facilities without improvement. At one hospital, he was diagnosed with "rhabdomyolysis," a life-threatening breakdown of muscle tissue. Despite this, he was described as aggressive and restless throughout his hospitalization, leading to a prescription for those symptoms.

The toxicology report showed traces of three antipsychotics and an antidepressant in his system, prescribed for psychiatric treatment. Experts argue that the forensic conclusion of death from schizoaffective disorder is nonsensical, as psychiatric disorders can cause hallucinations, delusions, and depression, but not death. “I am outraged,” expressed Jim Recht, a Harvard Medical School psychiatry professor. “If someone is agitated due to schizoaffective disorder and you shoot and kill them, you could claim complications of the disorder caused their death.”

The autopsy detailed multiple complications, including possible overcorrection of potassium levels or abnormal heart rhythms caused by psychiatric medications. The forensic report's explanations remain insufficient to account for why the young man died.

In both the Ukrainian and Honduran cases, the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the deaths as "natural causes." However, the Miami Herald's investigation exposes the "questionable" medical care provided to detainees. The report also highlights critical conditions at Krome, where detainees are so overcrowded they nearly sleep standing up.

The latest ICE custody death occurred in late April when a Haitian woman died at the Broward detention center in Pompano Beach, according to Telemundo 51. Marie Ange Blaise, aged 44, died from still-undetermined causes. In a statement about her death, ICE asserted its commitment to ensuring that all individuals in its custody reside in safe, secure, and humane environments.

ICE's March press release stated: “One of the agency's highest priorities is healthcare for detained aliens. The national detention standards of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement require centers to provide comprehensive medical, dental, and mental care from the moment aliens enter the center and throughout their time under ICE custody. Many aliens may not have received recent or reliable medical treatment for pre-existing conditions before entering ICE custody. For some individuals, this may be their first access to comprehensive healthcare.”