A 49-year-old Canadian national, Johnny Noviello, has died while in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at a federal detention facility in Miami, Florida. The incident occurred on June 23, 2025, when detention center staff found Noviello unresponsive at 12:54 p.m. Medical personnel immediately began CPR and used a defibrillator, but Miami Fire Rescue pronounced him dead at 1:36 p.m. The cause of death remains under investigation123.
Noviello, who held Canadian citizenship but had lived in the United States since January 1988, became a lawful permanent resident in October 1991. In October 2023, he was convicted in Volusia County, Florida, on charges including racketeering, trafficking in Oxycodone, and trafficking in Hydrocodone, for which he received a 12-month prison sentence23. He was arrested by ICE in May 2025 at a Florida probation office and was being detained pending removal proceedings due to his drug convictions124.
The death has prompted Canadian consular officials to press U.S. authorities for more information. Global Affairs Canada confirmed that consular officials are liaising with U.S. authorities and that the family’s privacy is being respected5. ICE has stated that it notified the Canadian Consulate, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and other oversight bodies following the incident3.
This case unfolds amid heightened immigration enforcement in the U.S., with the Trump administration urging ICE to increase arrests and deportation of immigrants with criminal convictions. ICE has reported between seven and eleven deaths in custody since the start of the fiscal year in October 2024, with some reports listing Noviello as the eighth or eleventh such death, depending on the timeframe referenced43. The average number of deaths in ICE custody in recent years has been about six to eight per year, with a spike during the COVID-19 pandemic3.
ICE maintains that detainees have access to round-the-clock emergency medical care and that the agency is committed to safe and humane detention conditions52. However, concerns about the transparency and quality of care in ICE facilities have been raised by lawmakers and advocacy groups, particularly following deaths in custody3.
The investigation into Noviello’s death continues, as authorities work to determine the precise cause and circumstances surrounding his passing123.
Sources:
- https://www.burnabynow.com/national-news/a-49-year-old-canadian-has-died-while-in-ice-custody-in-florida-10869184
- https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/canadian-national-ice-custody-passes-away
- https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/canadian-citizen-dead-ice-custody-b2777820.html
- https://www.foxla.com/news/canadian-ice-custody-death
- https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/26/us/johnny-noviello-ice-death-canada-florida
- https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadian-dies-in-ice-custody-1.7571876
- https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/canadian-man-held-by-immigration-officials-dies-in-south-florida-federal-facility-officials-say-2/
- https://www.newsweek.com/ice-detention-death-canadian-citizen-2091341
- https://apnews.com/article/immigration-detention-death-florida-da6a2aecc58b088cd79cc530dae6462b
- https://www.coastreporter.net/national-news/a-49-year-old-canadian-has-died-while-in-ice-custody-in-florida-10869184
