UN rights chief urges inquiry into deaths in ICE custody
Volker Turk said the rise in migrant detention deaths and reports of force and isolation require independent scrutiny.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk called Friday for an independent investigation into deaths in US immigration detention, saying families deserve answers and accountability. The appeal puts new international pressure on President Donald Trump’s administration as deaths in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody have climbed during his second term.
Turk said in a statement that he was concerned about limited transparency surrounding the deaths. US government figures cited in the statement show at least 19 people have died in migrant detention so far this year.
“Those responsible for violations of the law must be held to account,” Turk said, adding that victims’ families have rights to truth, justice, reparations and safeguards against future violations.
The death of Mamuka Artmeladze, a Georgian man held at a detention facility in Louisiana, was reported on June 4 and brought this year’s tally to 19, according to the figures cited by Al Jazeera. The total compares with 33 deaths last year and 11 in 2024.
Human Rights Watch said in a report earlier this month that the mortality rate in ICE custody is at its highest point in more than a decade. The watchdog said the rate has more than doubled since Trump returned to office, is nearly four times the rate under former President Joe Biden and is more than two and a half times the rate during Trump’s first term.
According to Human Rights Watch, 52 people have died in immigration detention during Trump’s second term. The group said they ranged in age from 19 to 75 and came from 20 nationalities.
Concerns over force and isolation
Turk said there have been troubling allegations about the use of force inside immigration detention facilities. He also said five deaths recorded in 2026 were classified as suicides.
The UN rights chief raised concern about reported solitary confinement in the facilities. The UN considers solitary confinement beyond 15 days a form of torture, and Turk said the practice is linked to an increased risk of suicide.
“All these factors exacerbate vulnerability and raise serious concerns as to whether some of these deaths in ICE custody could have been prevented,” Turk said.
Rights groups and immigration lawyers have described conditions in the detention system as neglectful and abusive, according to Al Jazeera. The Trump administration has been trying to expand the immigration detention network as it pursues large-scale deportations, with some centers operated by private contractors.
Trump defended his administration’s immigration enforcement record in a social media post Friday. He said his administration had the “Highest Average Daily Arrest Rate by ICE and CBP, including Total Detention, with Final Orders of Removal, than any other president, by far!”
Turk’s demand for an inquiry follows growing scrutiny of ICE detention practices, including protests outside facilities such as Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey, where Al Jazeera reported that about 300 detainees began a hunger strike in May over conditions.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.