Five people have died in ICE custody in the first 15 days of 2026"putting the agency on track to smash a grim record amid mounting scrutiny of its actions. The agency recorded a total of 30 deaths in its custody last year, but at the current rate it would see that number reached by April"and a grim record of 120 set for the whole of 2026. Advocacy groups say Congress"now debating whether to fund yet more beds"must launch a full investigation into why detainees are dying at such a staggering pace inside a system the Trump administration has supercharged and kept shrouded in secrecy.