Friday, June 27, 2025

A Canadian Has Died in ICE Custody – And 55 More Are Still Being Held

 🇨🇦  A Canadian Has Died in ICE Custody – And 55 More Are Still Being Held

Published: June 28, 2025
By: Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita


How would you feel if a loved one died in a foreign prison — without answers, justice, or dignity?

This week, a tragic and deeply disturbing story emerged:
Johnny Noviello, a 49-year-old Canadian citizen and U.S. permanent resident, died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody on June 23, 2025. His body was found unresponsive in a detention center in Miami, Florida, as he awaited deportation.

The Canadian government says it is "urgently seeking more information" — but why did this happen in the first place?


🇨🇦 55 Canadians Detained by ICE

Let that sink in.

According to recent reports, 55 Canadian citizens are currently being held in ICE custody across the United States.

This isn't a one-off tragedy. It’s part of a larger, troubling pattern of aggressive immigration enforcement, questionable medical care in detention centers, and a growing death toll — nine people have died in ICE custody already in 2025, four of them in Florida alone.


🚨 Where’s the Transparency?

Johnny Noviello was a green card holder who had lived in the U.S. since 1988. He had completed a 12-month sentence for drug charges and was supposed to be released to rejoin family. Instead, he ended up in ICE custody — and now he's gone.

His family deserves answers.
Canadians deserve answers.
The world deserves accountability.


🛑 What Are Canadian Officials Doing?

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand has said Ottawa is working with U.S. officials to uncover the cause of death. But is that enough?

  • Have families of the other 54 Canadians in ICE custody been contacted?
  • Are detainees receiving proper medical care, food, and legal support?
  • Should Canadian citizens even be detained in U.S. immigration jails — especially those with longstanding residency?

📣 We Must Speak Up

Whether or not you agree with Johnny Noviello’s past, no one should die in detention without answers, dignity, or justice.

We cannot allow Canadian citizens to vanish inside a system that lacks transparency and compassion. ICE is under increasing scrutiny for human rights violations — and Canada must protect its own.


✊ What You Can Do

🔹 Share this story on social media to raise awareness.
🔹 Contact your MP and ask what they’re doing to support Canadians in ICE custody.
🔹 Support legal aid and advocacy groups helping detainees and their families.
🔹 Demand an independent inquiry into Johnny Noviello’s death.


“An injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

Let’s not wait until the next Canadian dies behind bars in another country.

#JusticeForJohnny #ICECustody #CanadiansInDetention #ZipolitaSpeaks #HumanRightsNow

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