- Volker Turk said 23 people died in U.S. immigration custody in 2026 and demanded accountability.
- He urged the U.S. to stop removals to Haiti and other places where returnees could face irreversible harm.
- DHS is linked to a proposed US$10 million to US$20 million purchase of electric shock gloves.
Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, demanded accountability Monday after saying 23 people had died in U.S. immigration custody this year. He spoke to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on September 7, 2026.
Turk said four additional people had died since his previous update to the council. The total now stands at 23 deaths in 2026 alone.
“there needs to be accountability for these deaths”
The commissioner also urged Washington to stop removals to places where people could face irreversible danger. He specifically named Haiti and called for due process when the United States sends people to third countries.
A June report by Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights placed the detention death rate at its highest level in more than a decade. The report connected that rise with the Trump administration’s intensified immigration crackdown.
The speech also addressed equipment planned for immigration agents. The Department of Homeland Security has been linked to a proposed purchase of electric shock gloves costing between US$10 million and US$20 million.
The UN warning extends beyond detention deaths
Turk’s remarks covered both conditions inside detention facilities and the consequences of deportation. He said the United States should “halt the return of people to places where they could suffer irreparable harm, including Haiti, and to ensure due process for all removals to third countries.”
That language addressed removals involving countries other than a person’s country of citizenship. It also placed procedural protections alongside the demand to avoid destinations where returnees could face harm that cannot be repaired.
The call came as the death total rose by four since the commissioner’s June update. Those additional deaths produced the 2026 figure presented to the council.
The proposed devices would cost up to $20 million
The reported DHS plan would spend between US$10 million and US$20 million on the equipment. Officials have described it as “distraction and de-escalation” technology.
Turk rejected that characterization in his warning about the planned purchase. He said the devices would “increase the violence associated with their operations.”
| Proposed equipment | Planned spending | Description cited | UN warning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed gloves | US$10 million to US$20 million | “distraction and de-escalation” devices | Would “increase the violence associated with their operations” |
The plan adds an equipment dispute to the wider scrutiny of immigration detention. Turk’s comments placed the proposed technology beside the deaths reported in custody, rather than treating the issues as separate questions.
Washington has described detention differently
The Department of Homeland Security has said it is committed to a “safe, secure and humane” detention environment. That position differs from the death-rate findings cited by the commissioner and the two rights groups.
The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the speech. The department’s nonresponse came as the UN official pressed the United States over detention practices and deportation safeguards.
The inspector general was examining deaths in custody since October 2021. That review is separate from the UN call for accountability over the 23 deaths recorded in 2026.
The June report by Human Rights Watch and Physicians for Human Rights supplied the broader trend cited in Geneva. Its finding covered more than the latest four deaths: It said the rate had reached its highest point in over a decade.
The council address also included criticism of Russia’s reported use of autonomous drones and a warning about risks from artificial intelligence. The immigration remarks centered on the U.S. detention total, removals and the proposed devices.
Turk had last updated the council in June before presenting the new figure. He delivered the 23-death total during the council’s September 7, 2026 opening address in Geneva.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Consult a qualified immigration attorney about your specific case.
