UN rights chief calls for probe into migrant deaths in US detention centres
Key takeaways
- Deaths of immigrants held in US detention centres have surged during Donald Trump’s second term.
- In a statement on Friday, Turk expressed concern over the lack of transparency over those deaths, at least 19 of which have occurred so far this year, according to US government statistics.
- “Those responsible for violations of the law must be held to account, and the rights of the victims’ families to truth, justice and reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence must be upheld,” the UN rights chief said.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Deaths of immigrants held in US detention centres have surged during Donald Trump’s second term.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo ICE officers confront protesters outside the Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Newark, New Jersey, June 6, 2026 [Olga Fedorova/EPA]By Brian Osgood Published On 26 Jun 202626 Jun 2026The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has called for an independent investigation into the severe uptick in deaths in migrant detention centres during President Donald Trump’s second term in office.
In a statement on Friday, Turk expressed concern over the lack of transparency over those deaths, at least 19 of which have occurred so far this year, according to US government statistics.