The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has called for “prompt, independent, impartial and effective investigations” into deaths in US immigration custody, amid rising mortality rates under the Trump administration. Türk’s statement on Friday highlighted concerns over a lack of transparency and accountability within Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which falls under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Türk urged that “those responsible for violations of the law must be held to account” and that victims’ families’ rights to truth, justice and reparation be upheld. His call followed an announcement by the DHS inspector general’s office that it would investigate deaths in ICE custody and use of force on detainees, as well as a critical report by Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights alleging violations of ICE policy and international human rights law.
The UN commissioner also expressed alarm over the use of solitary confinement in ICE detention, noting that the UN considers it “torture” when used for more than 15 days. He said such practices exacerbate vulnerability and raised serious concerns that some deaths could have been prevented. The DHS inspector general’s investigation will examine deaths between 1 October 2021 and 31 March 2025, focusing on systemic factors, policies or processes.
Since returning to office in early 2025, President Donald Trump has dramatically increased ICE arrests and detentions as part of his “mass deportations” campaign. Mortality in ICE custody is at its highest level in over a decade, with 52 deaths reported in the first 500 days of Trump’s second term, according to Human Rights Watch. A separate UCLA data project found deaths have reached the highest levels since 2004.
The administration has expanded its detention network, with capacity to hold up to 90,000 people, and currently detains about 60,000. Most facilities are run by private prison companies. Türk stressed that immigration detention should be a “last resort” and avoided for those with medical conditions, pregnant women, and children, noting that the US has restarted family detention and locked up thousands of children.
