Johnny Noviello, Canadian National, Dies in Federal Immigration Custody in Miami
MIAMI, Fla. (AP) — Johnny Noviello, a 49-year-old Canadian man who had been in the United States for more than three decades, has died while in the custody of federal immigration authorities in South Florida, according to officials from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Noviello passed away Monday afternoon at the Federal Detention Center in Miami, which is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The cause of death has not yet been determined and remains under investigation, ICE said in a press release.
Originally from Canada, Noviello entered the U.S. legally in 1988 and became a lawful permanent resident in 1991. However, his legal residency was jeopardized in 2023 when he was convicted of drug trafficking and other related offenses. He served a one-year prison sentence for those charges.
Following his release, Johnny Noviello was under supervised probation when he was taken into custody by ICE agents last month at his probation office. Citing his felony drug conviction, ICE charged Noviello with removability under immigration law and began proceedings to deport him back to Canada.
While awaiting removal, Noviello was held at the downtown Miami detention facility, where he ultimately died. He had not been deported at the time of his death, and federal officials have not provided additional details regarding his health or the circumstances leading up to his passing.
Noviello’s death is the eighth reported death of an immigration detainee in 2025. In total, 11 immigration detainees died in federal custody in 2024, highlighting what many immigrant rights groups say is a deepening crisis in detention oversight and detainee welfare.
Advocates are now questioning how Johnny Noviello — a man who had spent most of his life in the U.S. — could die under the supervision of federal authorities without any public record of illness or incident. “This case adds to the troubling number of in-custody deaths and points to the urgent need for reform,” said one advocate from a Miami-based immigration watchdog group.
The Federal Detention Center – Miami, where Noviello was housed, is primarily managed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) but also holds individuals in ICE custody under interagency arrangements. Critics say these joint-use facilities often operate in gray areas, with insufficient transparency and accountability, especially when it comes to medical and mental health care.
ICE officials have stated that Johnny Noviello’s death will be thoroughly investigated, and the case has been referred to the Office of Professional Responsibility and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General for further review.
No statements have yet been released by Noviello’s family or legal representatives.
As immigration enforcement remains a contentious and evolving issue in the U.S., the death of Johnny Noviello is expected to further intensify calls for greater oversight of detention conditions and a more humane approach to the handling of long-term residents facing deportation.