UN alarmed over 18 deaths in custody of the US immigration agency ICE
26.06.2026, dpa
The United Nations has expressed alarm at the number of deaths in the custody of the US immigration authorities.
The UN high commissioner for human rights, Volker Türk, called for "prompt, independent, impartial and effective investigations into all deaths in ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] custody."
"Those responsible for violations of the law must be held to account, and the rights of the victims' families to truth, justice and reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence must be upheld," he said.
In the first five months of the year, 18 people died in the agency's custody, Türk said, citing official figures from the US agency. Last year, the total was 33, while 11 people died in 2024.
Türk criticized the lack of transparency regarding the circumstances of the fatalities. The deaths had occurred against the backdrop of a massive expansion of the US immigration detention system, he said.
The latest official data suggests ICE is currently detaining over 60,000 people, compared with around 40,000 at the start of 2025. There are plans to increase detention capacity to up to 90,000 places by the end of 2026, according to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
The UN High Commissioner also expressed concern about reports of the use of solitary confinement, the prolonged use of which could amount to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
"All these factors exacerbate vulnerability and raise serious concerns," said the High Commissioner.
The controversial immigration agency ICE has been in the spotlight since the start of US President Donald Trump's second term, as he pursues a hardline deportation policy.
Raids by ICE officers - some of whom are masked - have targeted migrants in predominantly Democratic-governed cities.
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