UN chief demands accountability over migrant deaths in US
Volker Turk said deaths in US immigration custody reached 23 this year and urged Washington to stop removals that could cause irreparable harm.
- On Monday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk demanded accountability for 23 deaths in United States immigration custody so far this year. Speaking to the Human Rights Council in GENEVA, Turk insisted "there needs to be accountability for these deaths."
- A joint report by Human Rights Watch and Physicians found death rates in ICE custody reached their highest level in over a decade, coinciding with President Donald Trump's intensified crackdown on illegal immigration.
- Turk also criticized Department of Homeland Security plans to spend $10 to $20 million on electric shock gloves for ICE agents, warning they would "increase the violence associated with their operations."
- The High Commissioner urged Washington to halt deportations to countries where returnees face "irreparable harm," specifically citing Haiti. He called for ensuring due process for all removals to third countries.
- Critics continue to focus on forceful tactics used by ICE agents, including fatal shootings of two American citizens in Minnesota earlier this year. These incidents have fueled concerns regarding training standards and conduct of enforcement personnel.
21 Articles
21 Articles
UN demands ‘accountability’ after 23 die in US immigration custody
GENEVA — The United Nations rights chief on Monday demanded accountability for swelling numbers of deaths in US immigration custody, and urged Washington to halt deportations to places where people face “irreparable harm”.Speaking before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Volker Turk highlighted that “four more people have died in US immigration custody since my last update to this council” in June.That meant there had been “a total of 23 de…
So far in 2026, 23 people have died in the custody of the US migration agency ICE, according to the United Nations. Now UN representatives are calling for those responsible to be held accountable and are calling on the Trump administration to halt deportations to places where people risk “irreparable harm.”
Some 50 detainees have died in ICE detention centres since Donald Trump's return to the White House in January 2025, according to data from two NGOs.
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