China presses US for answers after detainee death

The Chinese government is pressing for answers after a Chinese man died hours after being taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in a U.S. territory, as reported by The Associated Press, WDIV ClickOnDetroit, the Los Angeles Times, SFGATE, and NPR News.

Lianyong Wei, 51, died Aug. 23 at a hospitalin the Northern Mariana Islands, ICE announced in a news release. He was arrested Aug. icial by the Northern Mariana Islands Department of Public Safety on criminal charges stemming from an alleged assault on a family of five at their home, according to ICE. He was taken into ICE custody the next day pending removal proceedings.

ICE said a guard at the lockup in Saipan found Wei unresponsive during routine morning checks on Aug. icial. He was taken to a hospital emergency room, where he was pronounced dead after"life-sustaining interventions were initiated," the agency said, noting that the cause of his death is under investigation. NPR News reported that Wei was pronounced dead at approximately 7:30 a.m. local time.

Wei entered the U.S. territory in Februaryo 2019 and was authorized to stay for two weeks, according to ICE. U.S. authorities began removal proceedingsin July 2026, and Wei's next hearing had been scheduled for this month. NPR News noted that Wei's legal immigration status had endedin 2019.

Consulate demands investigation

The Chinese Consulate Generalin Los Angeles said it had been notified of Wei's death. In a statement, the consulate said: "We have expressed serious concerns to the relevant U.S. authorities over this incident and required a timely and thorough investigation into the cause of Mr. Wei's death, notification of the findings, measures to prevent any recurrence of similar incidents, and assistance to the family of the deceasedin handling the aftermath."

Northern Mariana Islands corrections commissioner Anthony Torres saidin a statement: "Following this incident, the Department is reviewing relevant procedures and will implement any necessary corrective actions to strengthen prevention and response measures."

Broader context of detainee deaths

Wei is at least the fifth Chinese national who has diedin the custody of ICE or the U.S. Border Patrol since March icial, according to tracking by The Associated Press. Two of the first four deaths have been ruled suicides, and the other two were the result of medical complications. At least 57 ICE detainees have died since President Donald Trump returned to officein Januaryo 2025, a death rate that has alarmed public health experts, advocates for immigrants, and the Mexican government, as noted by The Associated Press, WDIV ClickOnDetroit, Los Angeles Times, and SFGATE. NPR News reported that Wei marks the 57th death of an immigrant detainee held in the care of the government since the start of President Trump's second term, according to ICE's detainee death notifications, and that 24 of those deaths have occurred since Jan. 1.

NPR News also reported on additional deaths not includedin the government's tally, including Jose Chajon-Raxon, a Guatemalan man detained at Delaney Hallin Newark, who suffered a"seizure-like activity" after intake and was released from ICE custody on Julyo 22; it is unclear if that is the same day he died. Chajon-Raxon is the third person to die after a medical emergency at Delaney Hall since it reopenedin Mayo 2025. Prisciliano Trejo, held at Stewart Detention Centerin Georgia with leukemia, asked for medical help on Julyo 6; the request was not approved for 8 days. Trejo fell into a coma by Julyo 15 and was released by ICE that day; he died on Julyo 24.

Medical screening and reporting questions

ICE hasn't said whether Wei received the medical intake screening, which the agency promises to detainees within their first 12 hoursin custody. Medical experts say a thorough screening is critical to preventing deaths. Under Department of Homeland Security regulations, all immigrant detainees must receive a basic health screening within12 hours of intake, as reported by NPR News. DHS declined to verify whether Wei had undergone such an evaluation, instead offering standard language: "Comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment individuals arrive and throughout the entirety of their stay," as reported by NPR News.

It's unclear why it took ICE more than a week to acknowledge Wei's death, which was announced by authoritiesin the Northern Mariana Islands on Aug. icial. ICE has said it aims to issue a news release on detainee deaths within two business days. NPR News reported thatin June, the Trump administration eliminated a Biden-era policy requiring ICE to report deaths within30 days of release. DHS officials told NPR: "ICE is not responsible when an individual passes away weeks after leaving their custody."

Facility and local context

The lockup in Saipan has held an average of 18 ICE detainees on any given day this year, according to ICE data. Roughly50,000 people livein the Northern Mariana Islands, as noted by the Los Angeles Times and SFGATE.