GENEVA — The United Nations’ top human rights official has issued a pointed warning to the United States, urging the Trump administration to bring its sweeping immigration enforcement campaign back in line with international law and basic civil liberties amid mounting reports of abuses, according to Reuters.
In a statement released Friday, Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said his office was alarmed by what it described as arbitrary and unlawful arrests, excessive use of force, and the erosion of due process in recent immigration operations across the country.
“Individuals are being surveilled and detained, sometimes violently in hospitals, churches, mosques, courthouses, markets, schools, and even in their own homes,” Türk said, adding that many appear to have been targeted solely on suspicion of being undocumented migrants.
The criticism comes as President Donald Trump’s administration has dramatically escalated immigration enforcement, deploying roughly 3,000 heavily armed, masked federal officers to Minneapolis in recent weeks. Authorities say the operation targets dangerous criminal offenders, but civil rights groups and local officials report that law-abiding immigrants and U.S. citizens have also been swept up.
Tensions in the city intensified after an immigration officer fatally shot Renee Good, a 37 year old U.S. citizen and mother of three, on Jan. 7. Vice President JD Vance defended the federal response on Thursday, blaming “far left agitators” and uncooperative local officials for unrest and disorder.
Türk said the tactics used by immigration authorities appear, in some cases, unnecessary or disproportionate, stressing that force should be employed only as a last resort when there is an immediate threat to life. He also raised concerns that detainees have been denied timely access to lawyers, undermining fundamental guarantees of due process.
The UN official called for an independent investigation into a growing number of deaths in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, citing 30 deaths reported in 2025 and six more so far this year.
Beyond enforcement practices, Türk condemned what he described as the routine vilification of migrants and refugees in U.S. political discourse. Such rhetoric, he warned, fuels xenophobia and leaves vulnerable communities more exposed to hostility and abuse.
“The United States has long presented itself as a defender of human rights,” Türk said. “That commitment must extend to everyone, regardless of immigration status.”
