The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Washington, D.C.
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In a tragic incident, a Chinese immigrant passed away shortly after entering an immigration detention center in a U.S. territory, as reported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The individual, identified as Lianyong Wei, was apprehended by the Northern Mariana Islands Department of Public Safety on August 21 following an alleged assault on a family. Officials indicate that Wei, whose legal immigration status had lapsed in 2019, was taken into custody “without incident, pending his removal proceedings” the next day.
At the Saipan facility, managed by the Northern Mariana Islands Department of Corrections, the 51-year-old Wei was found unresponsive during a morning check. On August 23, at around 7:30 a.m. local time, he was declared deceased.
Wei’s death is recorded as the 57th among immigrant detainees held by the government since the commencement of President Trump’s second term, based on ICE’s detainee death notifications. Since January 1, 24 such deaths have been documented.
Upon discovery, ICE stated, “Wei was immediately transported to the Commonwealth Health Care Corporation Emergency Room and life-sustaining interventions were initiated.”
The investigation into Wei’s official cause of death is ongoing.
Department of Homeland Security regulations stipulate that all immigrant detainees must undergo a basic health screening within 12 hours of intake. However, DHS did not confirm whether Wei received this evaluation.
They provided a general statement: “Comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment individuals arrive and throughout the entirety of their stay.”
A change in policy
The death count from the government does not include Jose Chajon-Raxon, a Guatemalan national who was detained at Delaney Hall Detention Center in Newark, New Jersey on July 18. DHS officials informed NPR that Chajon-Raxon experienced “seizure-like activity” a day post-intake, necessitating emergency medical intervention and transfer to a local hospital. He was released from ICE custody on July 22, though it’s unclear if he died that same day.
Chajon-Raxon represents the third instance of a death following a medical emergency at Delaney Hall since its reopening in May 2025.
Also absent from the tally is Prisciliano Trejo, who succumbed five weeks post-ICE arrest. Detained at Georgia’s Stewart Detention Center while battling leukemia, Trejo sought medical assistance on July 6, yet approval was delayed by eight days. By July 15, he was in a coma, and ICE released him from custody that day. Trejo died on July 24.
In June, the Trump administration rescinded a Biden-era mandate which required ICE to document deaths occurring within 30 days following release from custody.
“Per ICE policy, when an individual is no longer in ICE custody, then ICE will no longer be responsible for monitoring or reviewing deaths that may occur,” DHS officials conveyed to NPR.
They further stated: “This is common sense. ICE is not responsible when an individual passes away weeks after leaving their custody.”
This article was originally written by www.npr.org
