DETAINEES held by US Immigration, Customs and Enforcement (Ice) are taking their own lives at an unprecedented pace in the agency’s two-decade history, a new investigation by the Associated Press found.

At least 10 Ice detainees have died by suicide since President Donald Trump returned to power and transformed the agency into a street militia that has terrorised communities, killed US citizens and increased the number of people held by the agency by 50 per cent.

The seven such deaths since October are a record for a fiscal year. In most previous years Ice has recorded either one or no suicides.

The Trump administration’s deportations have been fast-tracked, with judges complaining court orders to halt certain deportations have been ignored, and even the administration admitting some people have been wrongfully deported. The lack of trustworthy process can lead detainees to despair.

Staff ignored signs of distress, delayed mental health treatment and failed to monitor detainees who were already deemed at risk, the investigation says. They also permitted detainees to have access to materials that could be used for self-harm.

In some cases, distressed detainees were confined in isolation, a situation that can exacerbate feelings of humiliation and helplessness, according to experts.

Dr Homer Venters, former chief medical officer of New York City jails and an expert on Ice detainee deaths, called the rise in suicides “terrifying” and said those being detained were not being properly assessed or monitored.

Department of Homeland Security acting assistant secretary Lauren Bies said suicide deaths in Ice custody remain “extremely rare” and agency staff were trained annually on suicide prevention.