ICE Detainee Dies At FL Detention Center

MOORE HAVEN, FL — A 19-year-old Mexican national being held at an immigration center in Moore Haven has died, ICE officials announced Wednesday.

They say Royer Perez-Jimenez, 19, was pronounced dead around 2:45 a.m. Monday at the Glades County Detention Center.

Minutes earlier, a Glades County detention officer found Perez-Jimenez unresponsive and unconscious, according to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office.

Emergency medical personnel were called to the dormitory, and staff began administering CPR, ICE officials said.

The medical workers determined Perez-Jimenez had no pulse, and after further efforts, he was pronounced dead, officials said.

The official cause of death is being investigated; but, officials said it is presumed he died by suicide.

Perez-Jimenez was being held at the detention center after being arrested on charges of felony fraud for impersonation and misdemeanor resisting an officer, officials said.

The Volusia County Sheriff's Office took him into custody on Jan. 22, when ICE placed an immigration detainer hold on him.

Officials said Perez-Jimenez was transferred into ICE custody on Feb. 21 and was moved to the detention center five days later.

They said he was medically evaluated, denied behavioral health concerns "and answered 'no' to all suicide screening questions."

Perez-Jimenez first came into the U.S. on Feb. 19, 2022, when he interacted with a border patrol agent who afforded him a same-day voluntary return to Mexico, officials said. Sometime thereafter, officials said he unlawfully re-entered the U.S.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other federal offices, as well as the Mexico consulate, have been notified of his death, officials said.

If you or someone you know is considering self-harm or suicide, there are resources available. The National Suicide Prevention Hotline operates 24 hours a day and can be reached at 988. The Crisis Text Line can provide support through text messages by texting "HOME" to 741741.