Canadian Dies in ICE Custody as Trump's Deportation Machine Targets Permanent Residents

Johnny Noviello's death in Florida detention strains US-Canada relations while highlighting deadly conditions of ICE detention facilities.

Johnny Noviello, a 49-year-old Canadian citizen, died in ICE custody one Monday at a Florida detention center after being found unresponsive at 12:54 PM. Despite living legally in the United States for 37 years, arriving in 1988 and becoming a lawful permanent resident in 1991, Noviello was detained following a 2023 conviction for racketeering and drug trafficking. Court documents revealed he suffered from epilepsy requiring medication to control seizures.

Johnny Noviello

His death represents the ninth ICE detention fatality since January 2025, putting this year on track to be the deadliest since 2020. The incident adds another diplomatic flashpoint to increasingly strained US-Canada relations, coming as ICE processes 3,000 arrests daily—nearly five times the 650 daily arrests during Trump's first five months in office.

Death Rates Climbing

A comprehensive 2024 study examining 52 deaths between 2017-2021 found that 95 percent were preventable or possibly preventable if ICE had provided clinically appropriate medical care. Since January 1, 2017, ICE has reported 68 deaths in custody, a number that excludes people released immediately before death to avoid accountability requirements.

ICE currently detains nearly 50,000 people—up from 39,703 in January 2025—with recent reports describing severe overcrowding and facilities lacking adequate food and medicine. At Florida's Krome facility alone, two deaths occurred this year: Ukrainian immigrant Maksym Chernayak and Genry Ruiz Guillen of Honduras.

Allied Citizens Targeted

The targeting extends well beyond traditional immigration enforcement. ICE arrests between October-December 2024 totaled 26,606, with significant numbers from NATO and allied countries detained alongside the 11,586 Mexican nationals. Recent arrests include Turkish doctoral students from Tufts University, Georgetown graduate students from India, and Columbia University students involved in pro-Palestinian protests.

The United Nations advised its New York-based employees to carry identification cards, as residents from allied nations are targeted.

Paid subscribers can get a deeper dive into this issue including a SCOTUS ruling that could see Canadians who permanently reside in the US deported to Sudan, El Salvador or Libya.