Volker T\u00fcrk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, has expressed concern over the “sharp increase” in migrant deaths in US immigration detention centers and called for an independent and transparent investigation into the matter. According to US government figures, at least 19 migrants have died in these facilities since the beginning of this year.<\/p>\n
T\u00fcrk emphasized in an official statement on Friday that the lack of transparency about the circumstances of these deaths is alarming. He stated that those responsible for any violations of the law must be held accountable, and the families of the victims have the right to know the truth, access justice, receive compensation, and be assured of measures to prevent such incidents from happening again.<\/p>\n
The United Nations has reported that the number of deaths in immigration detention centers has risen during Donald Trump’s second presidential term. Human rights groups and immigration attorneys attribute this situation to systemic neglect, inhumane conditions, and mistreatment within these centers.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is rapidly expanding the network of immigration detention facilities as part of a broad deportation program; several of these centers are operated by private companies. On Friday, Donald Trump posted on social media that his administration recorded the highest average daily detentions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) compared to any other president.<\/p>\n
The reported death of Mamuka Artemaladze, a Georgian citizen, on June 4 at a detention center in Louisiana raised the death toll this year to 19. Last year, 33 deaths were reported, and in 2024 there were 11.<\/p>\n
Human Rights Watch, in a report published earlier this month, stated that the death rate in US immigration detention centers has reached its highest level in more than a decade and has more than doubled since Donald Trump’s second term began.<\/p>\n
According to the organization, 52 people who died in detention during Trump\u2019s second term were aged between 19 and 75 and came from 20 different nationalities.<\/p>\n
The UN High Commissioner also referred to reports of “worrying use of force” in these detention centers, noting that five of the deaths recorded in 2026 were classified as suicides. He warned against the use of solitary confinement, stating that detaining individuals under such conditions, especially for more than 15 days, could constitute torture under UN standards and increases the risk of suicide.<\/p>\n
T\u00fcrk concluded by emphasizing that all these factors increase the vulnerability of detainees and raise serious questions about whether some of these deaths in US immigration detention centers could have been prevented.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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