Data on the number of people who have died in recent years as a result of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions widely varies, depending on the source, questions over how the individuals died, and more. For example, some people in ICE custody have died as a result of heart failure and stroke, which were preceded by earlier reported conditions. ICE maintains its own database of detainee deaths: https://bit.ly/4sAcv6U
But The Transgender Law Center, two days after the shooting of Renée Nicole Good on January 7, 2026, reported that ICE has “murdered” at least 39 individuals since 2025. Accompanying the graphic listing the names was this statement:
“We hold Keith Porter in our grief. Keith was killed by an ICE officer in Los Angeles: a life lost to a system that relies on detention, force, and criminalization to govern migration. His death, alongside the killing of Renée Nicole Good, reflects a pattern of harm that continues to devastate families and communities, particularly Black, trans, disabled, and immigrant folks.
We speak the names we know.
We honor the people whose names were never recorded, never released, or never made public. Every person lost to ICE custody and enforcement carried a history, relationships, and a future that mattered.
This violence is structural. It is upheld by policies that treat immigrant lives as disposable. Immigrant justice, racial justice, and trans justice are deeply connected, and our movements are strongest when we grieve together and organize together.
We remember Keith. We remember Renée. We honor all those taken, named and unnamed, and continue building a future rooted in dignity, safety, and freedom for all.”
The Oakland-based Transgender Law Center is the largest transgender civil rights organization in the U.S., and its statement and data have received widespread attention. In terms of ICE-related issues, the organization helps trans individuals with immigration status challenges and has a dedicated Black LGBTQIA+ Migrant Project. https://transgenderlawcenter.org/
Published on January 15, 2026
Recent Comments