ICE Confirms Third Custody Death in 12 Days: A New Efficiency Metric?
Newsweek diligently reported ICE's grim statistic: three deaths in custody within just 12 days. The kind of efficiency (in a negative sense) that might impress a corporate board, but should horrify a free society. This isn't just a reporting of facts; it’s a normalization of what occurs when profit motives meet human beings seeking asylum. The article raises questions about medical care and
oversight, but conveniently sidesteps the fundamental inhumanity inherent in the system itself, a system that Congress continues to fund generously. These 'incidents' aren't isolated; they are a persistent pattern. According to TRAC Immigration, ICE reported 36 deaths in fiscal year 2020 alone—a record high. This persistent death toll is not a bug, but a feature of an enforcement-first ideology
that prioritizes securitization over human welfare. One might wonder: how many deaths are acceptable before it stops being 'custody' and starts being something else entirely?