Canadian citizen dies in ICE custody; Ottawa ‘urgently seeking’ information

Canada is “urgently seeking more information” about the death this week of a 49-year-old Canadian citizen while in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody in Miami, Foreign Minister Anita Anand said Thursday in a post on social media.

Johnny Noviello, who became a U.S. permanent resident in 1991, was found unresponsive Monday at a federal detention center where he was being detained “pending removal proceedings,” according to an ICE statement posted Wednesday. The cause of his death is under investigation.

“Medical staff responded immediately and began administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation, automated external defibrillator shock and called 911,” ICE said in the statement, adding that “comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment individuals arrive and throughout the entirety of their stay.”

In 2023, Noviello was convicted of charges including racketeering and drug trafficking in Volusia County, Florida, and sentenced to 12 months in prison, ICE said. On May 15, he was arrested by ICE and charged with removability because of the controlled substance convictions, the statement said.

President Donald Trump’s approach to immigration enforcement has sparked protests across the country and increased tensions between the United States and its northern neighbor. Canadians in recent months have skipped trips over the border, citing concerns about the immigration crackdown and anger over the president’s rhetoric about Canada, which he has said should become the 51st state.

According to ICE data, seven other individuals have died in its custody this year, while there were 11 such deaths last year. After a 44-year-old Haitian immigrant died in ICE custody in April, a group of lawmakers in Florida called for a transparent investigation, citing local media reports that she complained about chest pain before her death.