Canadian Dies in ICE Custody: A Tragic Reminder of Immigration System Failures
Hey everyone, I wanted to take a moment to talk about a deeply troubling story that’s been making headlines — the death of a Canadian citizen, Johnny Noviello, while in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This isn’t just a news item. It’s a human tragedy, one that demands our attention and reflection.
Johnny Noviello was 49 years old. Born in Canada, he entered the U.S. legally back in 1988 and became a permanent resident just a few years later. Like many immigrants, he built a life there. But in 2023, he was convicted on several drug-related charges in Florida — including racketeering and trafficking opioids like oxycodone and hydrocodone — and sentenced to 12 months in prison. After serving his sentence, he was picked up by ICE on May 15 of this year and placed in a federal detention center in Miami, awaiting deportation.
Then, on June 23rd, Johnny was found unresponsive in his cell. ICE says medical staff responded immediately with CPR and a defibrillator before calling 911, but sadly, he was pronounced dead the same day. His death is still under investigation, and the cause hasn’t been confirmed yet. It’s worth noting, though, that Johnny lived with epilepsy and needed seizure medication, which his lawyer said the family had worked hard to make sure he received while in custody.
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Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand has stated that the government is urgently seeking more information from U.S. officials. And rightfully so. This is the ninth death in ICE custody just this year, and the fourth in Florida alone. How many more people have to die before we really take a hard look at how immigration detention is being handled?
Johnny’s lawyer, Daniel Leising, was shaken by the news. He described Johnny as someone who had complied with his parole, posed no danger to the public, and had no recent violations. In his words, “It’s a terribly sad story.” And it is.
Let’s not forget: permanent residents can lose their green cards and face deportation for certain criminal convictions in the U.S. That’s the law. But even those awaiting deportation deserve basic human dignity and proper medical care. We should be holding systems accountable for ensuring that detainees — regardless of their immigration status — are treated humanely and kept safe.
This is about more than just one man’s death. It’s about the conditions of immigration detention, the sweeping and often aggressive enforcement actions, and the lives of the people caught in the middle. Johnny Noviello's story is a stark reminder that behind every immigration statistic is a person — someone’s family, someone’s friend.
We need answers. We need accountability. And above all, we need to do better.
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