UN rights chief calls for probe into migrant deaths in US detention centres | United Nations News
Surge in Deaths at U.S. Immigrant Detention Centers During Trump’s Second Term
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has called for an independent investigation into a significant increase in deaths at migrant detention centers during President Donald Trump’s second term.
In a statement released Friday, Turk highlighted concerns regarding the lack of transparency surrounding these fatalities, noting that at least 19 deaths have occurred this year alone, according to U.S. government statistics.
“Those responsible for violations of the law must be held to account,” Turk said. “The rights of the victims’ families to truth, justice, and reparation must be upheld.”
Rights advocates assert that the rise in deaths is largely attributed to systemic neglect and inhumane conditions within the centers. Reports indicate that the Trump administration has expedited the expansion of immigrant detention facilities, many of which are operated by private contractors, as part of its mass deportation efforts.
In a social media post on Friday, Trump claimed that his administration has achieved the “highest average daily arrest rate” by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) compared to any other president.
The recent death of Mamuka Artmeladze, a Georgian man at a Louisiana detention facility on June 4, has brought the total number of fatalities this year to 19. This number marks an increase from 33 deaths in 2025 and 11 in 2024.
According to Human Rights Watch, the mortality rate in ICE custody has reached its highest level in over a decade, more than doubling since the beginning of Trump’s second term. The organization reported that the mortality rate is nearly four times that of the Biden administration and more than two and a half times that of Trump’s first term.
The report cites 52 deaths in custody during Trump’s current term, with victims ranging in age from 19 to 75 and representing 20 different nationalities. Turk noted that there have been “concerning allegations regarding the use of force” at these facilities, with five of the recorded deaths in 2026 classified as suicides.
Turk also raised alarms about the use of solitary confinement, a practice deemed a form of torture by the UN after a duration of 15 days, which is associated with 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,” he stated.
