China wants probe into death of citizen who died in ICE custody on Northern Mariana Islands
By Matt Delaney
The Chinese government wants to know how one of its citizens died shortly after being taken into custody by U.S. immigration agents on the Northern Mariana Islands.
The Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles said it was shocked by news of Lianyong Wei’s death.
Officials have not disclosed a potential cause of death for the 51-year-old in the northwest Pacific’s U.S. territory.
“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,” the consulate said in a statement.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Tuesday said Mr. Wei died at a hospital on Aug. 23, one day after he was detained in connection with a criminal assault case on the main island of Saipan.
Local authorities accused Mr. Wei of attacking a family of five at their home on Aug. 21. He faced charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, disturbing the peace, assault and battery, and aggravated assault and battery when ICE took him into custody.
On Aug. 23, officials said a jail guard found Mr. Wei unresponsive in his cell during a morning check-in. He was rushed to a hospital, but died while receiving treatment.
Mr. Wei first arrived on the island chain in February 2019 and was authorized to stay only two weeks, ICE said. He wasn’t flagged for removal by immigration officials until July.
The Northern Mariana Islands Department of Corrections put out a statement on Mr. Wei’s death almost a week before it was acknowledged by ICE. The federal agency typically tries to publicize an inmate’s death within two days.
“NMIDOC takes the safety and well-being of all individuals in its custody with the utmost seriousness,” DOC Commissioner Anthony C. Torres said in a statement. “Following this incident, the Department is reviewing relevant procedures and will implement any necessary corrective actions to strengthen prevention and response measures.”
ICE data show an average of 18 inmates are held at the facility throughout the year. It’s unclear whether the officials gave Mr. Wei a medical screening when taking him into custody.
At least five Chinese nationals have died while in ICE or U.S. Border Patrol custody since March 2025, according to The Associated Press.
The outlet said 57 ICE detainees have died in custody during President Trump’s second term.
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