Story perspectives

ICE Halts Post-Release Death Reports; DHS Reviews Detention Sites

6/26/2026

Center

ICE Ends Death Reporting

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin testified before the House Appropriations Committee on June 25, 2026, outlining DHS reporting and security policies.
ICE announced it will no longer report detainee deaths that occur after release, reversing a 2021 Biden-era requirement.
Mullin said DHS reports deaths in custody but does not track post-release fatalities.
The department is reviewing eleven detention sites, noting three Texas warehouses lack water, emergency infrastructure.

Left

Mullin vs DeLauro

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin squeezed a stress ball while sparring with Rep. Rosa DeLauro during a Committee hearing.
ICE announced it will no longer report deaths of detainees that occur after release, reversing a 2021 Biden-era requirement.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro asked if TSA workers get the same labor protections as enforcement officers.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin claimed Republicans, not Democrats, shut down the department during prior shutdowns.

Blindspot

Center coverage emphasized the department’s review of eleven newly purchased detention facilities, noting water, wastewater and emergency-infrastructure shortfalls, a detail that left coverage did not include.
Center coverage also highlighted additional policy issues such as the discontinuation of the WEXMAC procurement tool and concerns about medical care at Camp East Montana, which were absent from the left summary.

History

Historical Context

The Homeland Security Act of 2002, signed in November and launched on March 1 2003, merged 22 agencies into the new Department of Homeland Security, including ICE. That law required annual custody-mortality reports, a rule ICE repealed in 2021 and is now restoring. The shift revives the act’s oversight legacy as the 2026 House Appropriations Committee debates funding.

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ICE Ends Death Reporting

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin testified before the House Appropriations Committee on June 25, 2026, outlining DHS reporting and security policies.
ICE announced it will no longer report detainee deaths that occur after release, reversing a 2021 Biden-era requirement.
Mullin said DHS reports deaths in custody but does not track post-release fatalities.
The department is reviewing eleven detention sites, noting three Texas warehouses lack water, emergency infrastructure.

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