Immigration detention deaths were up in FY 2017 A dozen deaths reported nationwide

ADELANTO, CA - NOVEMBER 15: An immigrant detainee makes a call from his 'segregation cell' at the Adelanto Detention Facility on November 15, 2013 in Adelanto, California. Guards said he had been put in solitary confinement for fighting with another inmate. The facility, the largest and newest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), detention center in California, houses an average of 1,100 immigrants in custody pending a decision in their immigration cases or awaiting deportation. The facility is managed by the private GEO Group. ICE detains an average of 33,000 undocumented immigrants in more than 400 facilities nationwide. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images) less ADELANTO, CA - NOVEMBER 15: An immigrant detainee makes a call from his 'segregation cell' at the Adelanto Detention Facility on November 15, 2013 in Adelanto, California. Guards said he had been put in ... more Photo: Getty Images Photo: Getty Images Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Immigration detention deaths were up in FY 2017 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

A Mexican immigrant's death near Houston after he was evacuated from the path of Hurricane Irma in September marked the end of the deadliest year for immigrants held in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody in eight years.

Felipe Almazan-Ruiz, 51, was taken to a hospital days after being booked into an immigration contract detention facility in Livingston, according to ICE. Almazan-Ruiz initially had been arrested by ICE in Miami in July, but ended up in Texas after hurricanes struck both states. He died Sept. 17 from cardiac arrest.

Around the country, 12 immigrants died in detention in the 2017 fiscal year, according to ICE, the most since fiscal year 2009. Ten immigration detainees perished in government custody the year before.

Read more: Immigration deaths reach highest total since 2009

Nationwide, more than 30,000 immigrants are held at any one time in ICE detention facilities.

Since ICE was created in 2003, 85 detention centers nationwide have reported a total of 176 deaths. Seventeen facilities have had three or more deaths, including eight at the CoreCivic detention center in Houston and 15 at the CoreCivic-owned Eloy Correctional Center in Arizona.

Related: Houston immigration detention center has more deaths than most

In December, the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a report in response to concerns raised by immigration rights groups.