Canadian citizen dies at Florida ICE detention facility
A Canadian citizen detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has died in custody while awaiting removal from the U.S.
Johnny Noviello, 49, was pronounced dead by the Miami Fire Rescue Department on June 23 at 1:36 p.m.
He was found nonresponsive by staff at the Bureau of Prisons Federal Detention Center approximately 40 minutes earlier, and CPR was administered as well as an external defibrillator, while emergency services were called.
The cause of death is still under investigation.
According to ICE, Noviello entered the U.S. on January 2, 1988, with a valid visa, and became a lawful permanent resident, or green card holder, on October 24, 1991.
On October 12, 2023, he was convicted in Volusia County, Florida, for racketeering, trafficking in Oxycodone, trafficking in illegal drugs, trafficking in Hydrocodone, and 'unlawful use of a two-way communication device to facilitate the commission of a crime.'
Noviello was sentenced to 12 months in prison.
On May 15, 2025, he was arrested by ICE at the Florida Department of Corrections Probation office, issued a notice to appear, and charged with removability, having been convicted of drug charges 'as a non-immigrant overstay.'
Under President Donald Trump's hardline immigration policies, ICE has been ordered to swiftly deport migrants who have been charged or convicted of serious crimes, particularly drug charges, assault, and murder.
However, of the estimated 185,000 people detained between October 1, 2024, and May 31, 2025, just one-third have a criminal conviction; however, 75 percent of that group have convictions for non-serious crimes, such as traffic offenses, according to a data analysis by The Independent. Just eight percent of the people ICE detained during that period were convicted of a serious crime.
Following Noviello's death, in accordance with policy, ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations division notified the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Office of the Inspector General, and the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility through the Integrity Coordination Center.
ERO also notified the Canadian Consulate by phone. The Independent has contacted the consulate in Miami for comment.
In May, acting director of ICE Todd Lyons testified that the agency is 'dedicated to transparency' during an appearance before the Appropriations Subcommittee on Department of Homeland Security.
It is believed that Noviello is the eighth person to die in ICE custody in 2025 or the eleventh in the current reporting period, beginning in October 2024.
According to data published by ICE, on average between 2018 and 2024, eight people per year died in ICE custody, with a notable spike in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Taking that year as an anomaly, the average is nearer six deaths per year.
Democrats in Congress have accused the agency of being slow to report deaths in detention.
Pressing Lyons over conditions in ICE detention centers, Rep. Veronica Escobar, Democrat of Texas, said they were 'abysmal' and 'tantamount to human rights abuses.'
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