UN calls for ‘prompt investigations’ of deaths in US immigration custody
Summary
The United Nations human rights chief, Volker Türk, urged the United States to quickly investigate deaths in immigration detention centers. These deaths, including many suicides, have risen sharply under President Donald Trump’s administration amid increased arrests and detentions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).Key Facts
- Volker Türk, the UN human rights commissioner, called for independent and effective investigations into deaths in US immigration custody.
- The Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general announced investigations into deaths and the use of force in ICE detention facilities.
- Since President Trump took office in 2025, ICE arrests and detentions have increased significantly, aiming for about 3,000 arrests daily.
- In the first 500 days of Trump’s second term, 52 people died in ICE custody, the highest number in over a decade.
- Human Rights Watch reported violations of ICE policies and international human rights laws related to these deaths.
- The UN condemned the use of solitary confinement in ICE centers, noting it can worsen detainees’ health and is considered torture if used over 15 days.
- ICE currently detains about 60,000 people, with plans to raise capacity to 90,000, mostly in centers run by private prison companies.
- Türk recommended that immigration detention be a last resort, especially avoided for people with serious health issues and pregnant women.
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