UN demands accountability after 23 deaths in US immigration custody in 2026

Sep 7, 2026

On September 7, 2026, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk demanded accountability from the United States following 23 migrant deaths in immigration custody in 2026. The surge in fatalities, which NGOs report has reached its highest rate in over a decade, coincides with President Donald Trump's aggressive expansion of enforcement operations. Türk also urged Washington to halt deportations to high-risk areas like Haiti and voiced alarm over ICE plans to procure electric shock gloves.

Deaths in ICE custody

▪Four individuals died in United States immigration custody between June 2026 and September 2026, bringing the total number of deaths in 2026 to 23.
▪Approximately 50 detainees died in United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers between January 2025 and September 2026, according to data from two non-governmental organizations.
▪United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced the death of a Salvadoran national at a migrant detention center in New Jersey in early August 2026.

Trump immigration enforcement expansion

▪The Trump administration targeted migrants for deportation who previously held legal protections allowing them to live and work in the United States due to persecution risks.
▪The United States government offered million-dollar agreements and threatened visa restrictions to pressure third countries, particularly in Africa, to accept deported individuals.
▪United States President Donald Trump expanded immigration enforcement operations, increased detention capacities, and widened the scope of individuals eligible for deportation during his second term.

UN accountability demands

▪United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk demanded accountability and independent investigations regarding deaths in United States immigration custody on September 7, 2026.
▪United Nations High Commissioner Volker Türk expressed concern on September 7, 2026, that plans to equip United States immigration agents with electric shock devices would increase operational violence.

Deportation halt calls

▪United Nations High Commissioner Volker Türk called on the United States on September 7, 2026, to guarantee due process for all migrant removals to third countries.
▪United Nations High Commissioner Volker Türk urged the United States on September 7, 2026, to halt deportations to high-risk regions, specifically highlighting Haiti.

Electric shock gloves procurement

▪United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement proposed plans to procure electric shock gloves, described as distraction and de-escalation devices, for its immigration agents.
▪The United States Department of Homeland Security planned to spend between $10 million and $20 million on procuring electric shock gloves, according to an Associated Press report.

Systemic detention oversight gaps

▪United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement faced criticism for fatal shootings during enforcement operations, including the January 2026 deaths of two American citizens protesting in Minnesota.
▪Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights identified systemic transparency gaps, inadequate medical screening, and over-reliance on punitive isolation within the expanding United States detention network.
▪A June 2026 joint report by Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights stated that the mortality rate in ICE custody reached its highest level in over a decade.