United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called for an independent investigation into the sharp increase in deaths at migrant detention centers during the second term of US President Donald Trump.
In a written statement on Friday, Türk expressed concern over the lack of transparency regarding deaths in detention centers, where at least 19 people have died so far this year according to US government statistics.
The UN official said, "Those who violate the law must be held accountable, and the rights of victim families to truth, justice, compensation, and guarantees of non-repetition must be protected."
Death rate at highest in a decade
Deaths in migrant detention centers have rapidly escalated during Trump's second presidential term. Rights groups and immigration lawyers describe this as a result of systematic neglect, inhumane conditions, and abuses.
The Trump administration is rapidly expanding the network of migrant detention centers, some operated by private contractors, as part of its policy of mass deportation of migrants in the US.
According to a report published by Human Rights Watch earlier this month, the death rate under 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 stated that this rate is approximately four times the rate during the Biden administration and more than two and a half times the rate during Trump's first term.
The report recorded 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 Türk wrote that there are "disturbing allegations regarding the use of force" in these facilities and that five of the deaths recorded in 2026 were classified as suicides.
Türk also expressed concern over reports of solitary confinement, which increases suicide risk 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 under 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 this year has risen to 19. Last year, the number was recorded as 33, and in 2024 it was 11.
