United Nations rights chief Volker Turk on Monday called for accountability over deaths in US immigration custody, noting that four more people had died since his previous update to the UN Human Rights Council in June. The latest deaths brought the total number of people who have died in US immigration custody in 2026 to 23.
Turk urged Washington to halt deportations to places where migrants could face “irreparable harm” and called for due process in removals to third countries. He specifically raised concerns over returns to countries such as Haiti, while also objecting to the practice of sending people to countries with which they have no connection.
US President Donald Trump has made immigration enforcement a major priority during his second term, with authorities conducting large-scale arrests and expanding immigration detention facilities. The heightened enforcement has drawn scrutiny from rights groups over conditions in detention and the treatment of migrants during immigration operations.
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A June report by Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights found that the rate of deaths among people held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody had reached its highest level in more than a decade. The findings have added to concerns surrounding the expansion of immigration detention and the conditions faced by people held while their cases are processed.
The UN rights chief also raised concerns over reported plans by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to equip agents with electric shock gloves. The plan, first reported by The Associated Press, involves the Department of Homeland Security potentially spending between $10 million and $20 million on devices described as tools intended for “distraction and de-escalation”.
ICE has faced further criticism over the use of force during immigration enforcement operations, including fatal shootings involving two US citizens in Minnesota in January who were involved in anti-ICE protests. Critics have questioned the tactics used during migrant arrests as well as reports alleging lower training standards for new recruits, adding to wider concerns about accountability and the use of force in US immigration enforcement.
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