UN rights chief decries US treatment of migrants, as deaths in ICE custody rise

In a news release on Friday, High Commissioner Volker Türk said individuals suspected of being undocumented migrants are being surveilled, arrested and detained – sometimes violently – in locations ranging from hospitals and places of worship to courthouses, schools, markets and private homes.

The UN rights chief said he was “astounded by the now-routine abuse and denigration of migrants and refugees.”

He warned that fear generated by such federal operations is rippling through communities, with children missing school and medical appointments, out of concern that their parents may not return.

“Those who dare to speak up or protest peacefully against heavy-handed immigration raids are vilified and threatened by officials, and on occasion subjected to arbitrary violence themselves,” Mr. Türk said.

He said numerous migration policies now being implemented by US authorities are resulting in arbitrary and unlawful arrests and detentions, as well as flawed removal decisions. He expressed concern that enforcement actions often lacked sufficient individualised assessments.

Due process

US immigration enforcement is primarily carried out by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a federal agency responsible for identifying, arresting, detaining and removing non-citizens deemed to be in violation of immigration law.

Mr. Türk stressed that while national governments have the authority to establish and enforce migration policies, those powers must be exercised in full accordance with the law. Failure to respect due process, he said, risks eroding public trust, weakening institutional legitimacy and violating individuals’ rights.

He also deplored Washington’s use of large-scale enforcement operations, raising concerns that force has at times appeared unnecessary or disproportionate.

On 7 January 2026, a woman was fatally shot in Minnesota’s largest city, Minneapolis, during an operation involving federal officers.

“Under international law, the intentional use of lethal force is only permissible as a measure of last resort against an individual representing an imminent threat to life,” Mr. Türk said.

Families torn apart

The UN rights chief highlighted the human cost of these practices, particularly for families.

Mr. Türk cited cases in which parents were detained or transferred between facilities without adequate information being provided about their whereabouts or access to legal counsel, making it difficult to maintain family contact or pursue legal remedies.

“I call on the administration to end practices that are tearing apart families,” said the High Commissioner. He also called for independent and transparent investigations into a reported rise in the number of deaths in ICE custody.

At least 30 deaths were reported last year, with six more so far this year.

‘Xenophobic hostility’

Mr. Türk also expressed deep concern over what he described as “dehumanising narratives” used by some Government officials to portray migrants and refugees.

“I call on leaders at all levels in the US to halt the use of scapegoating tactics that seek to distract and divide, and which increase the exposure of migrants and refugees to xenophobic hostility and abuse,” he said.

He also recognised the efforts of a wide range of public officials, community groups and civil society representatives across the US, who are working to uphold dignity, fairness and accountability in the treatment of migrants and their communities.

Net benefits of migration

He highlighted that the US’ history has been “shaped profoundly” by the contributions that migrants, from all parts of the world, have made and continue to make.

“Demonising migrants and refugees collectively as criminals, threats, or burdens on society – based on their origin, nationality or migration status – is inhuman, wrong, and it goes against the very fabric and foundations of the nation,” he warned.