UN Rights Chief Calls on US to Respect International Law Amid Immigration Enforcement

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, issued a strong recommendation for the United States government to ensure that its immigration enforcement strategies conform to both individual rights and established international law. Speaking on January 23 in Geneva, Turk voiced alarm over actions taken during the recent immigration crackdown, where individuals suspected of undocumented status have been monitored and apprehended across various public and private settings, including healthcare facilities, places of worship, judicial venues, commercial areas, educational institutions, and even within private homes. Turk's concerns arise in the context of heightened federal immigration operations in Minneapolis, where approximately 3,000 heavily armed and masked federal officers have been deployed. Their objective has been to detain individuals identified as significant criminal immigration violators; however, these operations have occasionally encompassed individuals not engaged in criminal behavior, including US citizens and lawful residents. The situation remains tense, exacerbated by the January 7 shooting by an immigration official that resulted in the death of Renee Good, a 37-year-old US citizen and mother of three. Vice President JD Vance has publicly defended the increased immigration enforcement, attributing disorderly conditions in the city to disruptive activists and uncooperative municipal authorities. Nonetheless, Turk criticized enforcement agencies for employing force that appears to be excessive or disproportionate. Such measures, he asserted, should be reserved strictly for instances where individuals pose an immediate threat to life. Emphasizing adherence to international legal standards, Turk underscored the necessity of upholding due process rights during migration enforcement procedures. He raised particular concerns about the lack of timely legal counsel afforded to some detainees, which compromises fundamental legal protections. Turk also urged the initiation of an independent inquiry into a troubling increase in deaths within US Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody. For the year 2025, authorities recorded 30 fatalities, alongside six more incidents so far in the current year. This trend signals a critical issue in the treatment and safety of detainees. Furthermore, Turk condemned the persistent negative portrayals of migrants and refugees in the United States, characterizing such depictions as routine and harmful. Presenting migrants as criminals or societal burdens, he noted, has intensified their vulnerability to xenophobic aggression and mistreatment, exacerbating their marginalization.