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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is pushing back against claims from Senate Democrats that 2025 has become the deadliest year in decades for immigrants held in federal custody.
In a post to X on Saturday, DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin slammed allegations made by the Senate Judiciary Democrats’ account, which claimed “30 immigrants have died in ICE custody since Donald Trump took office, making 2025 the deadliest year in ICE detention since the early 2000s.”
McLaughlin swiftly fired back, accusing Senate Democrats of “trying to twist data to smear ICE law enforcement.”
“There has been NO spike in deaths. Consistent with data over the past decade, death rates in custody are 0.00007%,” she said.
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McLaughlin also argued that those held in ICE custody receive appropriate medical care as well as a “higher standard of care” than most U.S. prisons.
“As bed space has rapidly expanded, we have maintained higher standard of care than most prisons that hold U.S. citizens — including providing access to proper medical care,” she said. “For many illegal aliens this is the best healthcare they have received their entire lives.”
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The response came just one day after DHS touted that ICE’s “Christmas gift to Americans” came early as agents pulled more illegal immigrants with criminal records off the streets.
“This holiday season, ICE is working around the clock to ensure silent nights and safer streets,” DHS said in its announcement.
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On Friday, DHS said that ICE had arrested illegal immigrants across the country whose criminal records include burglary, robbery and aggravated kidnapping. Homeland Security declared the latest defendants to be some of the “worst of the worst.”
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A spokesperson for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.