Suicides Among Immigration Detainees
There are two ways to look at the data on detainee suicides.
Posted June 3, 2026 | Reviewed by Lybi Ma
There are two ways to measure suicide : by the total number of deaths and by the number of deaths per 100,000 people. The latter considers changes in population size, enabling comparisons between years, regional areas, and various demographic groups. It’s determined by multiplying the number of suicides in a targeted population by 100,000, then dividing by the population size. Thus, one suicide among 10,000 people equals a suicide rate of 10. One suicide in a school of 2,000 students equals a suicide rate of 50.
Nationwide, the suicide rate is between 13.7 and 14.5, depending on the source. The variance is because the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which maintains official records, only has published data through 2024, and suicide rates, which were down during the pandemic, have increased since then.
A recent investigation by Associated Press found that 10 men detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement have died by suicide since January 2025, when the new administration came into office. Of these, seven died by suicide in the first eight months of fiscal year 2026—the most in any fiscal year in ICE history. Typically, the number of suicides recorded by ICE is none or one a year. [1]
Looked at one way, this is an alarming development and also totally understandable. Human confinement in prisons, jails, and other places is a known risk for suicide. Physical isolation, psychological trauma , and little or no access to mental health care can lead to depression , hopelessness, and feelings of despair that result in a suicide attempt.
Looked at another way, however, the story is different. AP reported that in Trump’s second term, the number of people detained by ICE increased 50 percent, to 60,000. Ten suicides per 60,000 people equals a suicide rate of 16.7. That’s higher than the national rate, but not significantly higher.
Here’s more context on the suicides of detainees.
The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world. We imprison 716 out of every 100,000 people. Second is Russia with 450. Every other country is much farther down this list, with Norway (70), the Netherlands (69), Finland (55), Sweden (53), Japan (47), and Iceland (45) among the lowest. [2]
America also has the highest prison population, with more than 2.1 million people behind bars. Second is China with 1.7 million. Third is Brazil (659,000), fourth is Russia (624,000), and fifth is India (420,000). [3]
Studies show that incarcerated men are three times more likely to kill themselves than the general population. Incarcerated women are nine times more likely to kill themselves. [4]
[1] Foley, Ryan J., Bieseck, Michael, and Lee, Morgan. “ICE Detainees Are Dying by Suicide at an ‘Alarming” rate, an AP Investigation Finds,” Associated Press, May 27, 2026.
[2] Institute of Criminal Policy Research. “World Prison Brief: Highest to Lowest Prison Population Total,” downloaded from www.prisonstudies.org/highest-to-lowest/prison-population-total May 30, 2017.
[3] World Prison Brief, supported by the Institute for Criminal Policy Research and the Birkbeck University of London, downloaded from http://prisonstudies.org/highest-to-lowest/prison-population-total , May 30, 2017.
[4] Fazel, Seena; Taanvi, Ramesh; Hawton, Keith. “Suicide in Prisons: An International Study of Prevalence and Contributory Factors,” Lancet Psychiatry, December 2017, 946-952.
Share this post Facebook Bluesky Linkedin Email
There was a problem adding your email address. Please try again.
By submitting your information you agree to the Psychology Today Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy
John Bateson was executive director of a nationally-certified crisis intervention and suicide prevention center in the San Francisco Bay Area for 16 years.
Get the help you need from a therapist near you–a FREE service from Psychology Today.
This article is part of the Bringwise Psychology Journal — daily insights on human behavior, mental health, and personal growth.