Latest news with #ICEcustody


CBC
6 days ago
- Health
- CBC
Canadian who died in ICE custody reported health issues weeks before death, agency says
The Canadian who died while in custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had several health concerns in the weeks leading up to his death, according to a report published on Wednesday. The report comes exactly a month after Johnny Noviello, 49, was found unresponsive at a federal detention centre in Miami. The day after Noviello was taken into ICE custody, he was diagnosed with a seizure disorder and hypertension. He was prescribed anticonvulsant and blood pressure medications, according to the report. Noviello had been in the U.S. since 1988 and became a lawful permanent resident in 1991. The Canadian citizen was convicted of a number of offences in 2023 — including racketeering and drug trafficking — and had been sentenced to 12 months in prison, according to an ICE release. He was arrested by ICE at a Florida probation office on May 15. Noviello's lawyer maintains he had not violated the terms of his probation. Noviello was being detained "pending removal proceedings," the agency said in a news release. On June 8, a medical provider requested a mental health referral for Noviello after he reported "feeling sad and depressed" and refused to go to a medical clinic for an evaluation. The next day, according to the ICE report, he said to staff that he had not eaten in "a while." "A provider evaluated Mr. Noviello by request of a [behavioural health provider] BHP, and documented Mr. Noviello maintained poor personal hygiene," the report says, noting that a provider discussed with him the "importance of self-hygiene and proper diet." In the afternoon on June 23, prison staff found Noviello unresponsive without a pulse and with low body temperature and blood sugar levels. The Miami Fire Rescue Department took over his care and attempted to revive him for half an hour, before pronouncing him dead. The cause of Noviello's death is unknown and is under investigation.


Globe and Mail
6 days ago
- Health
- Globe and Mail
Canadian man with epilepsy who died in ICE custody was flagged for health concerns
A Canadian man with epilepsy who died in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had been flagged over health concerns prior to his death, a report published by the immigration enforcement agency says. Johnny Noviello, who died last month at a federally-run prison in Miami, was prescribed medication for seizures and hypertension while incarcerated, but was referred by prison staff to a medical provider in early June for a health assessment, according to the ICE death report made public Wednesday. The medical provider requested a mental health referral after documenting that Mr. Noviello felt 'sad and depressed.' On June 8, Mr. Noviello refused a medical evaluation but told health care staff the next day that he had not eaten in 'a while,' the report says. Medical providers found the Canadian man maintained 'poor personal hygiene,' but documented normal vital signs and 'discussed the importance of self-hygiene and proper diet,' according to the ICE report. A Canadian man died in ICE custody. Now, his family is searching for answers Human Rights Watch report details abuses at Florida immigration detention centres Mr. Noviello, 49, died two weeks later, on June 23. The ICE report does not list a cause of death. The Canadian man 'found unresponsive' by prison staff at 12:54 p.m., and medical workers arrived on scene seven minutes later to try to resuscitate him. Miami Fire Rescue Department personnel subsequently performed advanced cardiac life support for half an hour with no response. Mr. Noviello had spent nearly four decades in Florida where he was a permanent resident, having moved there with his family when he was a child. In 2023, Mr. Noviello was convicted of several drug-related charges, making him vulnerable to deportation as a non-U.S. citizen. He was arrested by ICE this May at his probation office, amid a sweeping immigration crackdown ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump. The death report published Wednesday says Mr. Noviello was prescribed anti-convulsants at an ICE detention centre shortly after his arrest. He was also referred to a behavioural health provider. The behaviour health provider 'recommended a medical provider evaluate him then refer him to mental health if needed,' the report says. Mr. Noviello was then transferred to FDC Miami, which is run by the federal Bureau of Prisons. The Globe has previously reported that Mr. Noviello's family was concerned over his access to anti-convulsant medication in detention, and that they had struggled to contact him while he was incarcerated at FDC Miami.


Daily Mail
08-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Canadian swimwear entrepreneur hurled in ICE custody after 'being beaten by her boyfriend'
A glamorous Canadian swimwear entrepreneur has been hurled into ICE custody and detained for months after 'being beaten by her boyfriend'. Paula Callejas, a Montreal-based businesswoman, has been in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since early April and is currently in a facility in Arizona. She was detained after a domestic altercation with her boyfriend and now her family fears she may not make it out alive. Callejas has been reportedly shuffled between multiple detention centers and stripped of her anxiety medication, relatives told CTV News. 'This is really horrible for her,' her mother, Maria Estella Cano, told the outlet. 'They punish people for nothing.' Callejas had traveled to the US frequently for years while expanding her business and investing in Florida real estate. She was reportedly in the process of applying for a visa before the nightmare ordeal. Her family says the 30-something entrepreneur was assaulted during a fight with her then-boyfriend. He allegedly slapped her and knocked her to the ground before taking her phone. Callejas reportedly scratched him while trying to retrieve it to call the police, but he called first, which ultimately led to her being arrested for a misdemeanor assault. She hasn't seen freedom ever since that call. Callejas is now detained with up to six other women who are reportedly crammed into a single cell, according to her family. They say she's suffering without her prescription medication and is terrified of dying behind bars. 'She's scared,' Cano told CTV News. 'She says, "Mummy, I'm asking. I'm asking them, please let me go, please let me go." Why are they keeping her there?' Her relatives have spent thousands in legal fees in an effort to bring her home. But so far, every motion for release has been denied or delayed. The family says a woman died at one of the facilities where Callejas was previously held in Jacksonville, Florida and fear she could meet the same fate. 'We are ready to send the ticket for her now,' Cano said. 'She wants to come home to Canada.' In June, a Canadian immigrant died in the custody of ICE while awaiting removal from the US. Johnny Noviello, 49, died while in custody in Miami, Florida. His cause of death is under investigation. Noviello was undergoing removal proceedings when he was found unresponsive. Medical staff attempted to resuscitate him but he was pronounced dead shortly after. According to ICE, Noviello entered the US in 1988 and formally became a lawful permanent resident in 1991. But in 2023, he was convicted of racketeering and drug trafficking - which revoked his legal migrant status. He was meant to leave the country but didn't, so was arrested in May as part of an ICE round-up. ICE said he was convicted for trafficking Oxycodone, as well the unlawful use of a two-way communication device to facilitate commission of crime. He was sentenced to 12 months in prison in October of 2023. Volusia County corrections data shows he was released in February of last year. ICE arrested Noviello at a Florida probation office last month and issued a notice to appear and charged with removability. Ice has detained at least 50 Canadians since Donald Trump's crackdown on immigration.


CNN
01-07-2025
- CNN
75-year-old Cuban immigrant dies in ICE custody
A 75-year-old Cuban man who lived in the US for decades died while in ICE custody in South Florida. CNN's Boris Sanchez breaks down what happened and how the family is coping with his death.


CNN
01-07-2025
- CNN
75-year-old Cuban immigrant dies in ICE custody
A 75-year-old Cuban man who lived in the US for decades died while in ICE custody in South Florida. CNN's Boris Sanchez breaks down what happened and how the family is coping with his death.