The United Nations rights chief on Monday called for accountability over the growing number of deaths in US immigration custody and urged Washington to stop deporting people to places where they could face “irreparable harm”.
Addressing the UN Human Rights Council, Volker Turk said “four more people have died in US immigration custody since my last update to this council” in June.
He said this brought the number to “a total of 23 deaths in 2026 alone”, adding that “there needs to be accountability for these deaths”.
Death Rate In ICE Custody At Decade-High
US President Donald Trump has made curbing illegal immigration a major priority of his second term, with authorities detaining thousands of people and expanding detention facilities.
A joint report by Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights in June said the rate of deaths in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody had reached its highest level in more than a decade amid Trump’s immigration crackdown.
UN Raises Concern Over Deportations
Turk also criticised other US immigration enforcement practices, including the return of migrants to dangerous destinations and to countries with which they had no connection.
“I urge the United States to halt the return of people to places where they could suffer irreparable harm, including Haiti, and to ensure due process for all removals to third countries,” he told the council.
Shock Glove Plan Draws Alarm
The UN rights chief also expressed concern over reported plans by ICE to “equip immigration agents with electric shock gloves”, warning that such a move would “increase the violence associated with their operations”.
The proposal, first reported by The Associated Press, calls for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ICE’s parent agency, to spend $10 million to $20 million on devices described as “distraction and de-escalation” tools.
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ICE Faces Criticism Over Enforcement Tactics
ICE has faced criticism over fatal shootings during enforcement operations, including the deaths of two American citizens in Minnesota in January who were involved in anti-ICE protests.
Critics have also raised concerns over the forceful tactics used by ICE agents while detaining migrants and an alleged lowering of training standards for new recruits.
