China is seeking answers from the United States after a Chinese national died hours after being taken into US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).
The Associated Press (AP) reported that Lianyong Wei, 51, died on 23 August at a hospital in Saipan after he was found unresponsive at the local detention facility.
Wei had been arrested on 21 August by the CNMI Department of Public Safety on criminal charges stemming from an alleged assault on a family of five at their home, according to ICE.
He was transferred to ICE custody the following day pending removal proceedings.
ICE said a guard found Wei unresponsive during routine morning checks on 23 August. He was taken to a hospital emergency room, where he was pronounced dead after life-sustaining measures were initiated.
The cause of death remains under investigation.
The Chinese Consulate-General in Los Angeles said it had been notified of Wei’s death and had raised concerns with US authorities.
“We have expressed serious concerns to the relevant US 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,” the consulate said according to AP.
ICE said Wei entered the Northern Mariana Islands in February 2019 and was authorised to remain for two weeks. Removal proceedings against him began in July 2026, with his next hearing scheduled for September.
According to AP, Wei is at least the fifth Chinese national to die in ICE or US Border Patrol custody since March 2025.
AP reported that at least 57 ICE detainees have died since US President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025.
Questions also remain over the circumstances surrounding Wei’s detention. AP reported that ICE has not said whether Wei received the medical intake screening the agency says detainees should receive within their first 12 hours in custody.
AP also noted that ICE did not publicly acknowledge Wei’s death until more than a week after it occurred, although CNMI authorities announced the death on 24 August. ICE has said it aims to issue news releases on detainee deaths within two business days.
The Saipan detention facility has held an average of 18 ICE detainees on any given day this year, according to ICE data cited by AP.
CNMI Department of Corrections commissioner Anthony Torres said the department was reviewing its procedures following Wei’s death.
“Following this incident, the Department is reviewing relevant procedures and will implement any necessary corrective actions to strengthen prevention and response measures,” Torres said.
