A new incident surrounding ICE could now spell trouble for the Trump administration after a Canadian national died in ICE custody. Canadian consular officials are seeking details about this death from the Trump administration, according to reports.
Who is Johnny Noviello?
Johnny Noviello is a Canadian citizen and a lawful permanent resident of the US, who passed away in ICE custody at the age of 49. The incident happened at a Florida detention center this week.
He was found unresponsive and pronounced dead by the Miami Fire Rescue Department Monday afternoon, according to ICE officials. The cause of his death is still under probe, as per a CNN report.
“Medical staff responded immediately and began administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation, automated external defibrillator shock and called 911,” ICE was quoted as saying about the incident.
"Noviello was arrested by ICE at a probation office on May 15 and issued a notice to appear for removal proceedings, having been convicted of a violation of any law or regulation … relating to a controlled substance,” ICE stated in a recent news release.
This arrest reportedly came as a part of the Donald Trump administration's clampdown on illegal immigration, and the Canadian citizen was placed in ICE custody, where he died.
The Canadian government was informed of Noviello’s death on Thursday, the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand was quoted as saying in a statement. “Canadian consular officials are urgently seeking more information from US officials,” Anand's statement said. Keeping the family's privacy in mind, too much detail about the person will not be revealed by the authorities.
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Anthony Noviello entered the United States legally in January 1988 and subsequently obtained lawful permanent resident status on October 24, 1991.
Court documents show that Noviello faced legal consequences decades later. He was convicted in Volusia County, Florida, in October 2023 on charges including racketeering and trafficking the prescription drugs Oxycodone and Hydrocodone. For these offenses, a judge sentenced him to serve 12 months in county jail.
However, Noviello's actual time incarcerated was significantly shorter. Daniel Leising, his attorney in the criminal case, explained that with credits applied for good behavior and time already served, Noviello was released after approximately 125 days. Leising added that his last contact with Noviello was in February, following a judge's decision granting him community service.
