Eight people have died in dealings with ICE so far in 2026. These are their stories

The high-profile killings of Minneapolis residents Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good are only two among many

Luis Gustavo Núñez Cáceres

On 5 January, Luis Gustavo Núñez Cáceres, a 42-year-old immigrant from Honduras, died in ICE custody at HCA Houston Healthcare in Conroe, Texas. He had been admitted into the Houston-area hospital for a heart-related condition, according to an ICE statement. Núñez was first arrested by ICE agents during an operation in Houston on 17 November and was eventually transferred to the Joe Corley processing center in Conroe. On New Year’s Eve, ICE said, “he suffered multiple life-threatening medical emergencies, and HCA medical personnel moved him to the intensive care unit, where he remained until his death”. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement to the Guardian: “We have maintained higher standard of care than most prisons that hold US citizens – including providing access to proper medical care.” For many immigrants, the DHS said, “this is the best healthcare they have received their entire lives”.

“My brother was a person full of life and hope, always fighting for his wellbeing and that of our family,” Núñez’s brother wrote in Spanish on a GoFundMe page requesting assistance in bringing his brother’s body home. “Sadly, his life was cut short due to the lack of adequate medical care while he was in ICE custody.”