Mental Health Crisis Deepens in ICE Detention Facilities Amid Rising Suicide Attempts

Daniel Cortes De La Valle spent over seven months in immigration detention, enduring unsanitary conditions, ridicule from guards about his weight, and denial of his epilepsy medication. In July 2023, overwhelmed by his circumstances, he attempted to take his own life by hanging. Reflecting on the moment, he recalled thinking, 'I can’t take this anymore. It feels like a nightmare.'

Following the attempt, the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Jena, Louisiana, placed him under suicide watch, which subjected him to solitary confinement. During this period, he contended with biting ants, black mold on the walls, and unsanitary cell conditions, including feces on the floor, as detailed in a complaint he later filed against ICE and the detention staff. The constant lighting in his cell exacerbated his seizure disorder.

In November 2023, Mr. Cortes De La Valle chose to return voluntarily to Colombia. His complaint states that during his year at the Jena facility, he attempted suicide four times, including twice in July. An investigation by the Department of Homeland Security found evidence of discrimination against him by ICE and its contractor.

Since the start of this year, the U.S. government has intensified efforts to deport tens of thousands of immigrants. Over 60,000 individuals remain detained in facilities that many describe as overcrowded and under-resourced, where detainees often sleep on bare floors, consume spoiled food, and struggle to access necessary medications, according to immigration attorneys. From his home in Colombia, Mr. Cortes De La Valle urges detainees: 'Don’t surrender to the darkness.'

Suicidal thoughts are common among detainees, and tragically, some have taken their own lives. Since January 1, at least 12 immigrants have died while in ICE custody. Among them, two deaths were confirmed suicides: Jesus Molina-Veya in June at Georgia’s Stewart Detention Center and Chaofeng Ge last month at Pennsylvania’s Moshannon Valley Processing Center.

This crisis is not a recent development. During the previous administration, 26 detainees died in ICE custody, with at least four deaths either reported or suspected to be suicides.