UN Rights Chief Calls for Investigations Into Deaths in US ICE Custody

The United Nations human rights chief on Friday called for independent investigations into deaths of people under ICE custody, raising the alarm that 18 people had died in ICE detention in the first five months of this year.



"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," said U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.



His comments come as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's inspector general examines detainee deaths in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in recent years. The examination, according to a notice on the watchdog's website, aims to determine whether systemic factors, policies, or

processes contributed to detainee deaths that occurred in ICE custody from October 1, 2021, through March 31, 2026.