Canada Seeks Details After Citizen Dies in ICE Florida Custody

Johnny Noviello, a 49-year-old Canadian citizen and U.S. lawful permanent resident since 1991, died while in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody at a federal detention center in Miami as he awaited removal proceedings related to drug trafficking and racketeering convictions. ICE reported that medical staff responded immediately when Noviello was found unresponsive, performing CPR and using a defibrillator before emergency services arrived and pronounced him dead. Canadian officials, led by Foreign Minister Anita Anand, are urgently seeking detailed information from U.S. authorities about the circumstances surrounding Noviello's death, highlighting ongoing concerns over treatment and medical care in ICE detention centers. Noviello’s death is the ninth in ICE custody this year and the fourth in Florida facilities, intensifying scrutiny of ICE's detention conditions amid diplomatic tensions between Canada and the U.S. His case has drawn attention to the broader issue of ICE's handling of detainees, especially those with medical conditions like epilepsy, which Noviello reportedly had. ICE maintains that detainees receive comprehensive medical care and that they are committed to safe and humane detention environments, but investigations into Noviello's death remain ongoing.