United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk called for an independent investigation into the sharp rise in deaths at migrant detention centers during the second term of US President Donald Trump.
In a written statement on Friday, Turk expressed concern over the lack of transparency regarding deaths at detention centers, where according to US government statistics at least 19 people have died so far this year.
"Those who violate the law must be held accountable, and the rights of victim families to truth, justice, reparation, and guarantees of non-recurrence must be upheld," the UN official said.
Death rate at highest in a decade
Deaths at migrant detention centers have surged rapidly during Trump's second presidency. Rights groups and immigration lawyers describe the situation as a result of systematic neglect, inhumane conditions, and abuses.
The Trump administration, as part of its policy of mass deportations of migrants in the US, is rapidly expanding a network of migrant detention centers, some of which are operated by private contractors.
According to a report published earlier this month by Human Rights Watch, the death rate in ICE custody has reached its highest level in a decade and has more than doubled since the start of Trump's second term. The report said the rate is about four times that under the Biden administration and more than two and a half times the rate during Trump's first term.
The report noted that the 52 people who died in custody during Trump's second term ranged in age from 19 to 75 and came from 20 different nationalities.
Allegations of use of force and solitary confinement
Volker Turk wrote that there are "troubling allegations regarding the use of force" at these facilities and that five of the deaths recorded in 2026 were classified as suicides.
Turk also expressed concern over reports of solitary confinement, which increases the risk of suicide and is considered a form of torture by the UN after 15 days. "All these factors increase vulnerability and raise serious questions about whether some of these deaths in ICE custody could have been prevented," he said.
With the reported death of Georgian citizen Mamuka Artmeladze at a detention facility in Louisiana on June 4, the death toll for this year has risen to 19. Last year, the number was recorded as 33, and in 2024 as 11.
