DistantNews
Support us
China demands answers after man dies hours after entering ICE custody
🇺🇸 United States /Crime & Justice

China demands answers after man dies hours after entering ICE custody

From PBS NewsHour · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire Named sources Under investigation
  • Lianyong Wei, 51, died in a hospital on Aug. 23, one day after ICE took him into custody in Saipan pending removal proceedings.
  • ICE said Wei became unresponsive during a routine check and that the cause of death remains under investigation.
  • China’s consulate called for a thorough investigation, while the timing of ICE’s public disclosure and its medical screening procedures drew scrutiny.

China is demanding answers after a Chinese man died only hours after entering U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody in the Northern Mariana Islands.

Lianyong Wei, 51, died Aug. 23 at a hospital in the territory, ICE said in a news release. Wei had been arrested two days earlier by the Northern Mariana Islands Department of Public Safety on criminal charges linked to an alleged assault on a family of five at their home. ICE took him into custody the following day while he awaited removal proceedings.

A guard at the detention facility in Saipan found Wei unresponsive during routine morning checks, according to ICE. He was taken to an emergency room and pronounced dead after “life-sustaining interventions were initiated.” The agency said the cause of death remains under investigation.

We have expressed serious concerns to the relevant U.S. authorities over this incident and required a timely and thorough investigation into the cause of Mr. Wei's death, notification of the findings, measures to prevent any recurrence of similar incidents, and assistance to the family of the deceased in handling the aftermath

— Chinese Consulate General in Los AngelesThe consulate stated its demands after learning of Wei’s death in ICE custody.

Wei entered the U.S. territory in February 2019 and received permission to stay for two weeks, ICE said. U.S. authorities began removal proceedings in July 2026, and his next hearing had been scheduled for this month.

The Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles said it had expressed “serious concerns” to U.S. authorities. It called for a timely and thorough investigation, notification of the findings, measures to prevent similar incidents and help for Wei’s family.

Wei is at least the fifth Chinese national to die in ICE or U.S. Border Patrol custody since March 2025, according to Associated Press tracking. At least 57 ICE detainees have died since President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025. ICE has not said whether Wei received the medical intake screening it promises within the first 12 hours of custody. Medical experts say such screening can help prevent deaths. It also remains unclear why ICE took more than a week to acknowledge the death, which Northern Mariana Islands authorities announced Aug. 24.

life-sustaining interventions were initiated

— U.S. Immigration and Customs EnforcementICE used the phrase when describing the hospital’s efforts to revive Wei.
About this summary

Originally published by PBS NewsHour in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog