UN rights chief demands probe into rising deaths in US immigration custody

Rising death toll draws UN condemnation

At least 18 people died in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody during the first five months of 2026, according to official data cited by the UN human rights office. Five of those deaths were classified as suicides. At least one more death was recorded in June, bringing the total to 19 (some sources report 20 as of this week). The figures compare with 33 deaths in all of 2025 and 11 in 2024.

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.

The UN high commissioner said the lack of transparency and clarity about the circumstances of each death undermines accountability. He called for "prompt, independent, impartial and effective investigations" into every fatality.

Detention system expansion

The deaths come during a rapid expansion of immigration detention under President Donald Trump's second term. ICE now holds more than 60,000 people, up from around 40,000 at the start of 2025, and plans to expand capacity to 90,000 beds by the end of 2026. The Trump administration has pursued mass deportations and has touted record arrest rates.

The mortality rate has risen sharply. Human Rights Watch reported that the rate more than doubled since Trump's second term began and is at its highest level in over a decade. It is nearly four times that of the Biden administration and more than two-and-a-half times higher than during Trump's first term. Data cited by the Associated Press show the rate climbed from 13.29 deaths per 100,000 detainees in 2022 to 72.32 per 100,000 in 2026.

The mortality rate of deaths in ICE custody is at its highest level in over a decade and has more than doubled since Trump's second term began.

Internal US investigation launched

On 24 June the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General announced two separate investigations: one into detainee deaths between 1 October 2021 and 31 March 2026, and another into use of force across ICE facilities. Fieldwork is set to begin in July.

Our aim is to determine whether there were systemic factors, policies or processes that contributed to detainee deaths under ICE custody.

The inspector general's evaluation will examine whether recurring failures in policy or operations played a role in the increase observed since fiscal year 2022.

Conditions and solitary confinement

Türk raised specific concerns about the use of solitary confinement in immigration detention, noting that its prolonged use can amount to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. The UN has previously stated that solitary confinement beyond 15 days is considered torture. The high commissioner also pointed to reports of insufficient healthcare, food shortages and overcrowding.

International pressure and transparency

The UN call on 26 June followed a scathing report by Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights that documented a 140% increase in the mortality rate among ICE detainees between January 2025 and January 2026. The report said the 52 people who died during Trump's second term ranged in age from 19 to 75 and came from 20 nationalities. Rights groups have depicted a pattern of systematic neglect, inhumane conditions and abuses.

Türk urged US authorities to take immediate steps to prevent further deaths and to ensure compliance with international human rights standards. He described the 18 deaths in five months as "alarming" and said the vulnerability of detainees, including families with children and medically fragile individuals, exacerbated the risks.