No Borders NewsArizona Attorney General Kris Mayes joined 22 other state attorneys general in a letter to DHS and ICE demanding more transparency after ICE adopted a policy that ends investigations and public reporting of some deaths that happen shortly after a person is released from ICE custody.
The coalition says the change reduces oversight and accountability at ICE detention facilities, especially as reports of unsafe and abusive conditions continue. They argue that stopping these reviews and reports makes it harder for the public and officials to understand whether detention conditions are putting people at risk.
The letter points to ICE’s obligation to follow national detention standards, including health screenings and access to necessary medical and mental health care, as well as safe and sanitary conditions. The attorneys general also note that Congress has required ICE to investigate and report deaths that occur during detention.
According to the letter, until recently ICE directors could request reviews of deaths involving people who died within 30 days of being released from custody. The coalition argues that the new approach could create a harmful incentive to release critically ill or mistreated people shortly before they die to avoid scrutiny.
The letter also cites rising death numbers in ICE custody since January 2025, including the death of Ismael Ayala-Uribe in Arizona after an untreated abscess led to septic shock. The attorneys general say their states will continue pushing for federal accountability and urge ICE to restore prior reporting standards.