UN rights chief calls for accountability after 23 deaths in US immigration custody

A joint report released in June by Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights documented a sharp increase in deaths among individuals held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, noting that the mortality rate has risen to its highest level in more than a decade. The analysis, which examined detention data from the past twelve months, linked the surge to intensified enforcement measures implemented during the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, including expanded detention quotas and stricter detention conditions.

The report identified 58 deaths in ICE facilities between October 2022 and September 2023, a 45 percent rise compared with the previous year and the steepest upward trend since 2012. Medical experts cited inadequate health care, delayed treatment for chronic conditions, and the prevalence of COVID‑19 and other infectious diseases as contributing factors. Federal officials have acknowledged the findings but emphasized ongoing efforts to improve oversight and medical staffing in detention centers. Advocacy groups, citing the report, are urging Congress to enact stricter standards for detainee health care and to increase transparency in reporting mortality statistics.