A Chinese immigrant identified as Lianyong Wei was pronounced dead at approximately 7:30 a.m. local time on Aug. 23 at a detention facility in Saipan operated by the Northern Mariana Islands Department of Corrections. Wei had been arrested by local authorities on Aug. 21 following an alleged home invasion attack, and was transferred into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody the following day pending removal proceedings. He was discovered unresponsive during morning checks by a corrections officer.
According to ICE’s detainee death notifications, Wei represents the 57th death among immigrant detainees in government custody since the beginning of President Trump’s second term. Twenty-four of these deaths have occurred since Jan. 1. Wei’s cause of death remains under investigation. Following his discovery, he was transported to a hospital where life-sustaining interventions were initiated, according to ICE officials.
Department of Homeland Security regulations require all immigrant detainees to receive a basic health screening within 12 hours of intake. When asked whether Wei underwent such an evaluation, DHS declined to confirm, instead providing a standard statement about comprehensive medical care availability.
The article also noted that certain deaths among individuals released from or transitioning out of ICE custody are not reflected in the government’s official count. In June, the Trump administration eliminated a Biden-era policy requiring ICE to report deaths occurring within 30 days of release from custody. DHS officials stated that ICE is not responsible for monitoring or reviewing deaths that occur after individuals are no longer in agency custody.
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