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December Was Deadliest Month in Deadliest Year in ICE Custody Deaths

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It’s official: December was the deadliest month for immigrants in ICE custody since President Donald Trump returned to the White House.

This year was already the deadliest for those in ICE custody since 2004. In December, that trend continued, with seven immigrants dying in ICE detention, including four that died within a four day span, according to death notices published by ICE. Three of the deceased were held at facilities in Texas before they died. Four of the deceased died within four days of each other.

Francisco Gaspar-Andres, a 48-year-old man from Guatemala died on December 3, after being held at Camp East Montana in Texas since September. In his notice, ICE noted that although his “cause of death is pending, medical staff attributed it to natural liver and kidney failure.” The new detention facility at Fort Bliss has reportedly already violated dozens of federal standards for immigrant detention since welcoming detainees in August.

Pete Sumalo Montejo, a 72-year-old Filipino man who was previously convicted of child sexual abuse, died on December 5 at the Montgomery Processing Center in Texas. ICE reported that Montejo had suffered a number of illnesses throughout his time in custody: In June he was admitted for shortness of breath and hypoxia, and between July and November he was hospitalized several times for illnesses such as anemia and septic shock resulting from pneumonia.

Shiraz Fatehali Sachwani, a 48 year-old man from Pakistan, died on December 6, after being held at Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, since June. He was admitted to the hospital in November after experiencing low oxygen levels and tachycardia.

Jean Wilson Brutus, a 41-year-old Haitian man detained at Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Newark, New Jersey, died on December 12 from “suspected natural causes.” Immigrants held at Delaney Hall previously said that they were starved.

Fouad Saeed Abdulkadir, a 46-year-old Eritrean man, died in ICE custody December 14 at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Pennsylvania. Abdulkadir’s sudden death is reportedly the second to occur at that facility this year, and is currently being investigated by Pennsylvania State Police and the Clearfield County coroner.

Delvin Francisco Rodriguez, a 39-year-old man from Nicaragua was pronounced dead on December 14, just one day after he was scheduled to be deported. He was discovered unresponsive and without a pulse at the Adams County Detention Center in Colorado on December 4, removed to a medical facility, and declared dead 10 days later.

Nenko Stanev Gantchev, a 56-year-old man from Bulgaria, died in ICE custody December 15 at the North Lake Processing Center in Michigan. While ICE wrote that they suspected he died of natural causes, his cause of death is under investigation.

ICE’s webpage dedicated to Detainee Death Reporting lists only 15 deaths in 2025—not including any from this month. However, at least 20 immigrants had already died in ICE custody as of October, according to NPR.

ICE is required to publish information about an in-custody death within 30 days.

President Trump plans on ringing in the New Year by garnishing the wages of over 5 million student debtors currently in default on their loans, The Washington Post first reported.

Starting January 7, the Department of Education plans to withhold a portion of the wages of around 1,000 defaulted borrowers. The number will gradually increase within the following months.

By law, the Education Department must inform those in default at least 30 days before garnishing their wages. The department can take up to 15 percent of a student loan holder’s after-tax income to pay off their debts from college—yet another example of President Trump working against the issue of affordability he centered so much of his campaign around. Over 42 million people have student loans, and the number of people defaulting on them is expected to double very soon, highlighting the absurd price of college education in America, even as its value seems to be declining.

No, JD Vance will not be our first “Chad” president.

The vice president shared a series of photographs to X Monday showing himself valiantly running physical training drills with Navy Seals at Base Coronado, in California. Vance was photographed running down the beach, carrying a heavy log, climbing a large cargo net, and even rowing. Another set of photographs showed him speaking with officers, and posing for a photograph in front of a large American flag.

“They took it easy on me and I still feel like I got hit by a freight train,” Vance wrote on X, recapping his 90-minute PT session. “So grateful to all of our warriors who keep us safe and keep the highest standards anywhere in the world!” Vance previously served a four-year stint in the public affairs section in the 2nd Marine Aircraft.

Obviously, Vance’s critics were........

© New Republic