Canadian Citizen Dies in ICE Custody Amid Ongoing Immigration Crackdown

 

Johnny Noviello, a 49-year-old Canadian man, died Monday while in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Federal Detention Center in Miami, Florida. ICE reported that Noviello was found unresponsive around 1 p.m., and medical staff attempted to revive him using CPR and an automated defibrillator. Miami Fire Rescue pronounced him dead at 1:36 p.m. The cause of death remains under investigation.

ICE stated that it had informed the Canadian consulate, though the consulate has not yet commented publicly. Noviello first entered the United States legally in 1988 and became a lawful permanent resident in 1991. However, in October 2023, he was convicted of racketeering and drug trafficking in Volusia County, Florida, and sentenced to 12 months in prison. The charges stemmed from a 2017 case in which Noviello and his father were arrested for selling prescription drugs, including hydrocodone and oxycodone, from an auto sales business in Daytona Beach.

Following his release, ICE arrested Noviello on May 15 at a Florida Department of Corrections probation office for violating U.S. drug laws. He was awaiting deportation proceedings at the time of his death.

Noviello’s death comes during a heightened period of immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump’s administration. ICE has been conducting widespread arrests across the country in line with executive orders aimed at deporting undocumented immigrants. These operations have taken place in public spaces such as courthouses, restaurants, and factories and have sparked nationwide protests.

According to ICE, Noviello is the tenth individual to die in its custody this year and the fourth in Florida. The agency has faced ongoing scrutiny over detention conditions and the rising number of deaths in its facilities.

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