85-year-old German dies in custody of US immigration agency ICE

Background: Growing number of deaths in ICE custody

The case is part of a growing number of deaths in ICE custody. According to the UN, 18 people have died in US immigration agency custody since the beginning of the year. The previous year there were a total of 33; in 2024, 11 deaths were recorded. The United Nations had expressed alarm at these figures the previous week.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, unequivocally demanded clarification. He called for "unverzügliche, unabhängige, unparteiische und wirksame Untersuchungen zu allen Todesfällen in ICE-Gewahrsam," Türk said. The UN body pointed to the special duty of protection owed to people in state custody.

Reaction of the United Nations

The death of the German citizen comes amid a phase of intensified US immigration policy. Under President Donald Trump, according to the agencies and government-affiliated reports, an unprecedented campaign was launched to deport millions of migrants without valid residency status. Critics see this as a systematic expansion of detention that also affects elderly and pre-ill people.

In the US, foreign nationals without valid residency papers are generally taken into custody until a decision is made about their deportation or possible release. In recent years, cases have repeatedly come to light in which detainees – some with serious pre-existing conditions – died in custody or in connected facilities.

Responsibilities of CBP and ICE

The responsible agency, ICE, is subordinate to the US Department of Justice and is responsible for enforcing immigration laws in the interior of the country. At the southern border with Mexico, however, the border protection agency CBP is primarily responsible for the initial arrest before those affected are transferred to ICE.

The case is expected to result in diplomatic inquiries from the German government. According to information from earlier, similarly situated cases, the German Embassy in Washington was usually involved when German nationals died abroad under state care. An official confirmation of consular contacts in the current case was not initially available.

Possible diplomatic consequences

It also remained unclear initially whether the family of the deceased was informed and whether the repatriation of the body to Germany is planned. It was also unclear whether a judicial or parliamentary investigation into the circumstances will be initiated. The prosecutor's office in Texas and the oversight bodies of ICE could initiate their own investigations.

Deutsche Welle and other international media were informed of the case on Thursday by a brief notice from ICE. Observers interpret the incident as further evidence of the humanitarian risks of current US deportation policy, particularly for elderly and sick people.