Canadian who died in ICE custody lived a 'simple life,' his lawyer says

Racy Rafique · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 27, 2025 4:55 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

The Canadian antheral who died portion successful custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier this week was a "very polite, quiet, unassuming antheral with a precise elemental life" who did not airs a information to anyone, says the lawyer who represented him.

Dan Leising represented Johnny Noviello, 49, who died successful a detention centre successful Florida connected Monday. The origin of decease is chartless and is nether investigation, says an ICE quality release.

In 2023, Noviello was convicted of a fig of offences — including racketeering and cause trafficking — and had been sentenced to 12 months successful prison, according to the ICE release.

But Leising says Noviello never really went to state prison. Being sentenced to 364 days, he served clip successful region jailhouse and was retired connected probation erstwhile helium was arrested by ICE successful May.

Leising says Noviello had not violated the presumption of his probation.

LISTEN | As it Happens speaks with Noviello's lawyer: 

Leising described the charges against Noviello arsenic "very, precise serious." He said Noviello had worked arsenic a cashier and did immoderate janitorial work, and had nary anterior transgression record. 

"Is helium convulsive oregon anybody that you'd beryllium acrophobic of if you walked by them connected the street? Absolutely not," said Leising. 

Leising says helium stayed successful interaction with Noviello's household during his detention and aft his death. The household erstwhile called Leising erstwhile they were incapable to get successful interaction with Noviello during his detention. 

He said the household was acrophobic astir Noviello getting the medicine required to dainty his epilepsy. Leising said helium has nary cognition of Noviello's entree to that medicine portion successful detention. 

Investigation underway

Despite having Canadian citizenship, Noviello had been successful the U.S. since 1988 and became a lawful imperishable nonmigratory successful 1991, the merchandise says.

Noviello was being detained by ICE "pending removal proceedings," the agency's quality merchandise said. 

In an interrogation with CBC's Power & Politics, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said consular officials had been successful interaction with Noviello as soon arsenic they heard of his detention.

"At this constituent we are besides seeking further accusation relating to the circumstances of his passing away, and I'd similar to widen my condolences to his family," she said.

U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra posted a connection connected societal media saying his squad is pursuing the probe into Noviello's death. 

"We volition support the Canadian authorities informed arsenic ICE completes its investigation," helium wrote successful a station connected X.

ICE crackdown

Noviello's decease comes arsenic ICE agents are making sweeping arrests crossed the United States.

Stephen Miller, White House lawman main of unit and the main designer of U.S. President Donald Trump's migration policies, has pushed ICE to purpose for astatine slightest 3,000 arrests a day, up from astir 650 a time during the archetypal 5 months of Trump's 2nd term.

Lawyer and argumentation expert Richard Kurland says Noviello's criminal past means that helium meets Trump's illustration for precedence removal.

He says the president's absorption connected deporting criminals and "mass detention" comes with "great risk" to those successful custody.

"You bash not bask the luxury of isolated cells," said Kurland. "You're going to person carnal interactions betwixt detainees."

Other Canadians detained

Noviello isn't the lone Canadian to person been arrested successful the U.S. since the ICE sweeps began.

Global Affairs Canada told CBC News successful a connection that it is alert of "several twelve cases of Canadians presently successful immigration-related detention successful the U.S."

One Canadian, Jasmine Mooney from B.C., was arrested and held for astir 2 weeks aft trying to get a enactment visa renewed. She was released and returned to Canada successful mid-March.

WATCH | Canadian describes ICE detention: 

U.S. migration lawyer Len Saunders, who represents Mooney, says helium was amazed to perceive of Noviello's death.

"You don't spot a batch of Canadians successful migration detention successful the United States," helium said.

Saunders says the detention strategy is analyzable — detainees can't conscionable accidental they privation to beryllium sent home.

"They person to spell done the ceremonial deportation proceedings, they person to spot an migration judge," helium said. 

Saunders says erstwhile Mooney was detained, 1 of her friends wanted to cognize how to velocity up the process. His effect was to spell to the news.

"That's the lone crushed I deliberation Jasmine Mooney was released truthful quickly," helium said.

In the lawsuit of Noviello, Kurland says there's thing Canada could person done to forestall his death.

But helium says Canada indispensable effort to negociate an wide woody with the U.S. erstwhile it comes to the detention and deportation of its citizens — due to the fact that the numbers of Canadians held by ICE volition lone grow.

"We request to enactment present to make a peculiar protocol conscionable for Canadian detainees," helium said. "That would relieve a batch of radical successful a atrocious situation."