Human Impact Project

Lianyong Wei, a 51-year-old Chinese national who had lived in Saipan since entering in 2019 on a two-week parole authorization, died Aug. 23, 2026 at a hospital in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, roughly a day after being placed in ICE custody. Local police had arrested Wei on Aug. 21 on criminal charges, including an alleged attack on a family in their home, and he was transferred to ICE custody the next day to face removal proceedings. A corrections officer found him unresponsive during a routine morning check on Aug. 23; he was rushed to the Commonwealth Health Care Corporation Emergency Room, where resuscitation efforts failed and he was pronounced dead. Corrections Commissioner Anthony Torres extended condolences to Wei's family and said the department is reviewing its procedures. The cause of death remains under investigation, and the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles has pressed U.S. authorities for a thorough inquiry and assistance to his family, noting he is at least the fifth Chinese national to die in ICE or Border Patrol custody since March 2025. His death is recorded as the 57th ICE detainee death since January 2025, though reporting on some other in-custody deaths, including those of Jose Chajon-Raxon and Prisciliano Trejo, has been excluded from official tallies following a policy change ending required reporting of deaths within 30 days of release.

Ana Garcia's mother was arrested by ICE near downtown Mount Vernon, Washington, according to her daughter. Ana said the family was not allowed to see her before she was taken away. The five siblings are now navigating daily life without either parent at home.