UN again expresses concern over the use of force in ICE operations in the United States

The death of a man during an operation by federal agents in Minneapolis adds to other recent incidents and fuels the debate over law enforcement practices and civil rights in the North American nation.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned the treatment of migrants and refugees in the United States by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He also expressed concern over abuses during operations and detentions.

In a statement, Volker Türk called on Washington to respect human dignity and the right to due process, and to combat the xenophobic hostility and abuses, now recurrent, against these vulnerable populations and those who defend them.

The High Commissioner’s observations are framed within the international human rights commitments undertaken by the United States, including respect for due process, the prohibition of arbitrary detention and the protection of people in vulnerable situations. The United Nations recalls that migration policies must be implemented in line with these standards.

Türk requested that deaths in ICE custody be investigated and said that people are being monitored and violently detained, including in hospitals, churches, markets, schools or inside their own homes, on the basis of mere suspicion of being in an irregular migration situation.

Despite these abuses, the High Commissioner highlighted the commitment of numerous organizations and institutions in the United States to defending the dignity and rights of migrants. In that context, he mentioned a multitude of officials, community groups across the country, members of Congress, judges, lawyers, religious leaders, service providers, advocates and ordinary citizens.

Detentions and deaths at the hands of ICE

The actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement have been the subject of repeated criticism from international bodies and civil society organizations.

The UN has highlighted repeated cases of parents detained and transferred from one detention center to another, without adequate information about their whereabouts or access to a lawyer. It also points out that ICE hinders detainees’ ability to stay in contact with their families and legal representatives.

In addition, Volker Türk also called for an independent and transparent investigation into the worrying increase in the number of deaths in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody. It is estimated that at least 30 such deaths were recorded last year, and another six so far in 2026.

Türk also noted that some removals, particularly to countries other than the people’s country of origin or to which they have no ties, were carried out hastily, without taking into account the risks of torture or irreparable harm. ICE authorities have also acknowledged mistakes, having wrongly removed people from the United States. These cases underscore the need to strengthen safeguards, he said.

Another killing recorded and posted on social media

On January 24, demonstrations were held in several U.S. cities to denounce ICE’s actions. This began in early January, when Renee Good, a U.S. citizen, was shot dead by a federal agent during an operation.

This time the victim was a 37-year-old U.S. citizen, Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a U.S. resident who had no serious criminal record and was a legal gun owner, according to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara.

However, the Department of Homeland Security stated that the incident occurred during an operation to arrest an immigrant wanted for assault and that Pretti had allegedly approached the agents while armed. According to the official version, the officers tried to disarm him and he resisted, so they shot him in self-defense.

Several videos circulated on social media and verified by U.S. media outlets show a different situation from the one maintained by the U.S. administration. In these images, the man appears to be pinned to the ground, surrounded by several agents, and without a visible weapon in his hand in the moments before the shots; multiple shots can also be heard within a few seconds, which led to accusations of a disproportionate response by the security forces.

Both violent incidents that ended the lives of Pretti and Good occurred a short distance apart and reignited the debate over the role of immigration agents in several cities across the country.

For the United Nations, these incidents cannot be analyzed in isolation, but rather as part of a pattern that requires a structural response. The organization insists that security cannot be achieved at the expense of violating fundamental rights and that the use of force must always be exceptional and subject to independent oversight.

The High Commissioner recalled that the history of the United States has been profoundly shaped by migrant communities from around the world and that collectively demonizing them as criminals or threats is inhumane and undermines the very essence of the country. Along these lines, he called on the U.S. administration to comply with its international obligations under human rights law and international refugee law.

Guillermo Whpei

President of Fundación para la Democracia