Canadian citizen dies in ICE custody; Canada 'urgently seeking more information'
Johnny Noviello, 49, was found unresponsive on June 23 at the Bureau of Prisons Federal Detention Center in Miami, according to ICE. Noviello is the eighth person to die in ICE custody in 2025.
Canadian officials are 'urgently seeking more information' after a Canadian citizen died while in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at a detention center in Florida.
Johnny Noviello, 49, was found unresponsive on June 23 at the Bureau of Prisons Federal Detention Center in Miami, the agency said in a statement. Medical staff administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation, automated external defibrillator shock and called 911, ICE said, but Noviello was pronounced dead by the Miami Fire Rescue Department about half an hour after he was found.
The cause of Noviello's death is still under investigation, according to ICE.
"Canadian consular officials are urgently seeking more information from US officials," Foreign Minister Anita Anand said on social media. "I offer my sincere condolences to the family. In order to respect the family's privacy, further details will not be provided at this time."
Noviello, who became a lawful permanent resident of the United States in 1991, was convicted of charges including racketeering and drug trafficking in Volusia County, Florida, in 2023, ICE said. He was sentenced to 12 months in prison.
On May 15, he was arrested by ICE at a probation office, issued a notice to appear and charged with "removability," because of the controlled substance-related conviction, according to ICE.
Noviello's death comes as the Trump administration has ramped up immigration enforcement, sparking massive protests across the country.
Noviello is the 10th person to die in ICE custody during fiscal year 2025, which runs from October, according to the agency's data. Those deaths include a Haitian woman who spent more than 10 weeks in immigration custody and was held in allegedly inhumane conditions.
"ICE remains committed to ensuring that all those in its custody reside in safe, secure, and humane environments," the agency said. "Comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment individuals arrive and throughout the entirety of their stay."
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Refinery29
33 minutes ago
- Refinery29
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And the same conversations aren't just happening online, they're happening in person, over WhatsApp and on the phone. García says she has received an increased number of calls from undocumented individuals admitting they want to protest and show their support but are worried about their safety, especially being in close proximity to la migra. 'Some people are angry about what they're seeing, but there's definitely a lot of fear in the community,' says García. This fear holds a lot of people back from being in public, making it even more critical for documented citizens to stand up and fight back. Doris Anahí Muñoz, an artist and activist who previously endured family separation at the hands of ICE, says there are several things she wished she knew during one of the darkest moments of her life. 'The hardest part of a path to citizenship is how costly it is,' says Muñoz. 'I wish I had known about these kinds of organizations back then. 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As Sotos puts it: 'Being openly undocumented is my most powerful tool at this point. My mere existence as an undocumented person is my most powerful resistance.' Resources for undocumented people who may not identify as Latine The UndocuBlack Network: Black immigrants who organize communities and advocate for policy changes National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC): Korean and Asian American immigrants fighting for social, economic, and racial justice Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California: Civil rights advocates for the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community Self-care tips from mental health professionals Check in with yourself to make sure you're eating, hydrating, resting and taking care of your body Talk to friends and family to avoid the isolation that results from living and reliving trauma in person and on social media Try to take breaks from the work to find moments of joy with the people you love Where to donate
Fox News
2 hours ago
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Suspected ICE facility attackers arrested in blue city, charged with assaulting federal officers
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UPI
3 hours ago
- UPI
Canadian national awaiting deportation dies in Miami detention center
A car passes the Krome Service Processing Center's front gate during the Congressional oversight fact-finding mission on detained immigrants at Krome North Service Processing Center in Miami, Fla., on Monday. Migrants also are housed at the Federal Detention Center in downtown Miami, where a Canadian national died Monday. Photo by Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich/EPA-EFE June 27 (UPI) -- Canadian officials are "urgently seeking more information" after one of their citizens died while in a detention center in Miami pending deporation after being convicted of a felony in 2023. Johnny Noviello, 49, was pronounced deceased by the Miami Fire Rescue Department at 1:36 p.m. Monday at the Federal Detention Center in downtown Miami, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Wednesday in a news release. The cause of death is still under investigation. The detention center, which houses individuals awaiting trial or serving sentences for federal crimes, in February was contracted to hold immigration detainees in four units. Daniel Leising, a lawyer who represented Noviello in the 2023 racketeering case, told the Miami Herald he was told by family members that Noviello had epilepsy and was on seizure medication. Noviello is the 10th person to die in ICE custody during fiscal year 2025, which runs from October, according to the agency's data. There have been four deaths in Florida since then. Medical staff administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillator shock. Noviello was pronounced dead by the Miami Fire Rescue Department about half an hour after he was found. "Canadian consular officials are urgently seeking more information from US officials," Foreign Minister Anita Anand posted Thursday on X. "I offer my sincere condolences to the family. In order to respect the family's privacy, further details will not be provided at this time." Noviello was 10 years old when he moved from Canada to Daytona Beach, Fla., and gained legal visa status on Jan. 2, 1988. He became a legal permanent resident on Ovt 24, 1991. In 2017, he and his father were arrested and charged with selling drugs out of their auto shop. On Oct. 23, 2023, he was convicted of the charges including racketeering and drug trafficking in Volusia County in Florida, ICE said. He was sentenced to 12 months in prison. He served about four months in county jail, was released on community control for a year and then placed on probation in February. Noviello had no prior charges and had not violated his probation. The federal government can revoke green cards and deport them for committing certain crimes, including drug trafficking and other serious felonies. On May 15, he was arrested at an ICE probation office, was issued a notice to appear and charged with "removability" because of the controlled substance-related conviction, according to ICE. The Canadian consulate was notified of the man's death, as was Congress, nongovernmental organization stakeholders and the media. "ICE remains committed to ensuring that all those in its custody reside in safe, secure, and humane environments," ICE said in a news release. "Comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment individuals arrive and throughout the entirety of their stay. "At no time during detention is a detained illegal alien denied emergent care." Leising said his client "was just working, nothing out of the ordinary, no violations, nothing else. There was nothing on my mind that would've created any circumstance where Johnny Noviello would have been a danger to anyone."
