A Chinese immigrant, Lianyong Wei, was found dead shortly after entering immigration detention in a U.S. territory. Wei was arrested by the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Department of Public Safety on August 21 for allegedly attacking a family. His legal immigration status had expired in 2019.
Wei was taken into custody ‘without incident’ for removal proceedings. The 51-year-old was found unresponsive the next day at the Saipan facility, after being checked by a corrections officer from the Northern Mariana Islands Department of Corrections. He was pronounced dead at approximately 7:30 a.m. local time on August 23.
Wei’s death is the 57th immigrant detainee death since President Trump’s second term began, according to ICE’s notifications. Twenty-four of these occurred since January 1. Upon discovery, Wei was immediately transported to the hospital. Life-saving interventions were attempted, though his official cause of death is still under investigation. ICE regulations mandate that detainees receive basic health screenings within 12 hours of intake, but DHS did not confirm that Wei received one.
Another case involves Jose Chajon-Raxon from Guatemala, who experienced a medical emergency at Delaney Hall Detention Center in Newark, New Jersey. He was transferred to a hospital and released from custody on July 22. It is unclear if he passed away on the same day. Delaney Hall has seen three deaths following medical emergencies since reopening in May 2025.
The case of Prisciliano Trejo, detained at Stewart Detention Center in Georgia, highlights systemic issues. Trejo suffered from leukemia and requested medical help, which was delayed for eight days. He fell into a coma and was released from ICE custody on July 24. He died thereafter.
In June, the Trump administration repealed a Biden-era policy requiring ICE to report deaths within 30 days after a detainee’s release. According to DHS: ‘When an individual is no longer in ICE custody, ICE ceases responsibility for monitoring or reviewing any subsequent deaths.’