March 19, 2026Updated March 21, 2026, 12:16 p.m. ETA 20-year-old man from Mexico died in a Florida immigration detention center from a presumed suicide.Royer Perez-Jimenez was taken into ICE custody after being arrested for a minor offense and giving a false name.The Glades County Detention Facility, where he died, has a history of complaints regarding human rights abuses and denial of medical care.Editor's note: Due to incorrect information supplied by federal authorities to The News-Journal, Royer Perez-Jimenez was arrested by Edgewater police and not as originally reported. He also was 20, not 19, as originally reported by federal authorities.A 20-year-old man from Mexico being held at a Florida immigration detention center died while in custody, according to a press release from federal authorities.Royer Perez-Jimenez was found unresponsive about 2:30 a.m., Monday, March 16 at Glades County Detention Facility in Moore Haven. Medical personal attempted “life-sustaining interventions,” but he was pronounced dead about 2:42 a.m.It’s believed he died “of a presumed suicide; however, the official cause of his death remains under investigation” according to the press release issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.Edgewater police originally stopped Perez-Jimenez in January for riding a scooter across a street without using a sidewalk and for giving deputies a false name. He was arrested on a probable cause affidavit and charged with felony fraud for impersonation and misdemeanor resisting an officer, according to the ICE release.Perez-Jimenez was transferred to ICE custody Feb. 21 and a few days later taken to the Glades detention center.Perez-Jimenez originally entered the U.S. in 2022, at which point U.S. Border Patrol “granted a voluntary return to Mexico.” Federal authorities some at some point, Perez-Jimenez returned to the U.S., which is a federal felony.ICE officials said Perez-Jimenez was evaluated and “denied any behavioral health issues or concerns,” and “answered ‘no’ to all suicide screening questions” when he was admitted to the detention facility.“ICE is committed to ensuring that all those in custody reside in safe, secure and humane environments,” the press release stated. “Comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment individuals arrive and throughout the entirety of their stay. All people in ICE custody receive medical, dental and mental health intake screenings within 12 hours of arriving at each detention facility; a full health assessment within 14 days of entering ICE custody or arrival at a facility; access to medical appointments; and 24-hour emergency care. At no time during detention is a detained alien denied emergency care.”Complaints filed against Florida immigration detention centersThere have been 470 complaints filed against immigration detention centers in Florida, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.The majority of complaints, 276, are for “denial of medical care.”Glades County Detention Center, where Perez-Jimenez died, has a history of “horrific conditions and human rights abuses,” the ACLU reported.“From pervasive sexual and medical misconduct to unlawful use of toxic chemicals, the center continues to attack and dehumanize vulnerable people,” it stated in a report.In 2022, several members of Congress asked the Department of Homeland Security to shut down the facility, according to the Sun Sentinel. At the time, President Joe Biden’s administration limited its use citing “persistent and ongoing concerns related to the provision of detainee medical care, and because the facility is of limited operational significance.” In 2025, the Trump administration announced that it would begin housing inmates there again.Where is Glades County Detention Facility located?It’s in Moore Haven, which is about 55 miles east of Fort Myers.Michelle Spitzer is a journalist for The USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA. As the network’s Rapid Response reporter, she covers Florida’s breaking news. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.