10
Loading video...
By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
A 51-year-old Chinese national died in immigration detention in the U.S. territory of the Northern Mariana Islands less than a day after being taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, authorities said.
Lianyong Wei was found unresponsive during routine morning checks on August 23 at the Northern Mariana Islands Department of Corrections facility in Saipan, where he was being held on behalf of ICE. He was transported to a local hospital, where medical personnel attempted lifesaving measures before he was pronounced dead at about 7:30 a.m. Chamorro Standard Time, ICE said.
Wei had been arrested by local authorities on August 21 on allegations including assault with a dangerous weapon, aggravated assault and battery, disturbing the peace, and assault and battery. ICE said he was transferred into the agency's custody on August 22 while awaiting immigration proceedings.
Read More on News
His official cause of death remains under investigation.
How Many People Have Died in ICE Custody?
Wei’s death marks the 57th recorded in ICE’s detainee death notifications since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, and the 24th this year, according to an analysis of the agency’s records.
ICE detainee death notifications show 33 deaths in 2025. The tally reflects ICE's detainee death reporting system and does not necessarily include people who died after being released from custody. The agency has altered aspects of its reporting practices, meaning some deaths that occur after release may not be reflected in its detainee death notifications.
The deaths come as the second Trump administration has significantly expanded immigration enforcement. It has increased immigration arrests and deportations, expanded detention capacity and deployed federal immigration agents in communities across the country.
Related Story
Exclusive: ICE Agents Investigated for Sexual Assault, Bribery, Drug Smuggling
TRAC data shows that 65,765 people were being held in ICE detention as of July 11, 2026, with 58,231, or 89 percent, originally arrested by ICE and 7,534, or 11 percent, arrested by Customs and Border Protection. NBC News reported that ICE arrested roughly 50,000 people in August alone.
The growing detainee population has increased scrutiny of conditions inside immigration detention facilities. Advocates, lawmakers and watchdog groups have raised concerns about medical care, oversight and detainee welfare, particularly as detention levels have climbed.
ICE has disputed allegations of systemic medical neglect and said people in its custody receive appropriate care. The agency maintains that detainees receive medical care from the moment they enter custody and throughout their detention.
...
The Northern Mariana Islands Department of Corrections said emergency procedures were initiated immediately after Wei was discovered and that an investigation is underway.
Wei's death occurred in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory in the western Pacific that operates its own corrections system.
For now, the circumstances surrounding Wei's death remain unclear.
Geraldo Lunas Campos, a 55-year-old Cuban national, died on January 3 at the Camp East Montana detention facility in El Paso, Texas. His death was later ruled a homicide by the El Paso County medical examiner, who determined that he died from asphyxia caused by neck and torso compression. The Department of Homeland Security said Campos was attempting suicide and that security staff intervened, while a detainee witness described a struggle in which guards restrained Campos.
Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal, an Afghan asylum seeker who had worked alongside U.S. forces in Afghanistan, died on March 14, just over 24 hours after being taken into ICE custody in Texas, according to his family and an advocacy group.
Edwin Lopez-Cornejo, a Salvadoran man held at the Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, died on August 1 after suffering a medical emergency. His family has alleged that he did not consistently receive medication for conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure and seizures, and said he complained of numbness in his face and arm the day before his death. ICE said he received appropriate medical care and that staff responded quickly to his medical emergency. His family has called for an independent investigation.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: John Fitzpatrick and Dave Siminoff.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines