China presses U.S. for answers after a man dies hours after entering ICE custody

The Chinese government is urgently seeking answers following the death of a Chinese national, Lianyong Wei, just hours after entering the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in a U.S. territory. The incident occurred on August 23rd at a hospital in the Northern Mariana Islands, where Wei was pronounced dead after being unresponsive during routine morning checks in a lockup in Saipan.

According to ICE, Wei was arrested on August 21st on criminal charges related to an alleged assault on a family of five and was awaiting removal proceedings. Wei had entered the U.S. territory in February 2019 and was authorized to stay for two weeks. U.S. authorities initiated removal proceedings in July 2026, with his next hearing scheduled for this month.

The Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles has been informed of Wei's death and has expressed serious concerns to relevant U.S. authorities, demanding a prompt and thorough investigation into the cause of his death, as well as measures to prevent similar incidents and assistance for Wei's family. This is at least the fifth death of a Chinese national in ICE or U.S. Border Patrol custody since March 2025, with two of the first four deaths ruled as suicides and the others due to medical complications.