Photo: ICE and Border Patrol agents on Nicollet Avenue on 24 January 2026 © chaddavis.photography/sets/ice-in-minneapolis/
The International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) expresses grave concern over escalating incidents of human rights violations committed by public authorities in the United States, including violent attacks on protestors and the absence of independent investigations. Recent events reflect a troubling pattern of executive overreach and impunity that undermines fundamental principles of democracy. The fatal shootings of Renée Nicole Good on 7 January and Alex Pretti on 24 January occurred amid widespread protests against the increasingly broad and unlawful powers exercised by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In 2025 ICE detained tens of thousands of people and conducted a record number of removal flights of immigrants, with 2,138 taking place in that year.
Mr Pretti was reportedly filming ICE officers and intervened when two individuals were being pushed by an agent. After being pepper sprayed, restrained and appearing to be disarmed of a legal firearm, he was struck repeatedly before being fatally shot. Ms Good was shot three times by a masked ICE agent on a Minneapolis street. These deaths add to at least 12 previous shootings of civilians by ICE officials under the current administration.
The right to life is a jus cogens norm, binding on all states without exception. Additionally, as a State Party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the US is legally obligated to uphold the right to life (Article 6) and the right to peaceful assembly (Article 21). These obligations are reinforced by the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man (Articles 1 and 21) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Articles 3 and 20(1)). The US must fulfil its obligations to uphold these rights, and independently and promptly investigate any violations. A failure to meaningfully investigate warrants a violation of the ICCPR in and of itself. Additionally, under the United Nations Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials (UN Basic Principles), law enforcement must apply non-violent means before resorting to the use of force or firearms and may only use force and firearms if other means remain ineffective or without any promise of achieving the intended result. Under Article 7, governments must ensure that arbitrary or abusive use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials is punished as a criminal offence under their law.
The circumstances surrounding the deaths of Mr Pretti and Ms Good - including the use of masks and unidentifiable uniforms - raise serious concerns about the right to life, to peaceful assembly, transparency and accountability. IBAHRI welcomes Judge Eric Tostrud's court order requiring the preservation of evidence in Mr Pretti's case but remains concerned about the lack of progress regarding Ms Good's death. The IBAHRI calls on the US government to remember its obligations under the UN Basic Principles and ensure these officers are held accountable.
IBAHRI Co-Chair Mark Stephens CBE commented: 'It is a source of great concern that we are seeing in Minneapolis, and across the United States, the use of a policing force, an arm of the state, overreaching, with no means of identification, where they cover their faces, where there are no identifying numbers on their clothing, allowing them to enjoy immunity from prosecution.'
IBAHRI Co-Chair Hina Jilani commented: 'Every life lost is a tragedy. But when a life is lost through breaches of fundamental human rights carried out by public authorities, the institutions that are meant to protect citizens, and no one is held to account, a message is sent to the wider community that impunity will reign. We cannot allow this to happen. The IBAHRI hopes that meaningful investigations into the violations committed by ICE are able to be carried out without impediment.'
IBAHRI is further concerned about ICE operations that bypass judicial processes, including arrests without warrants and deportations carried out without due process. Under Article 14 of the ICCPR, individuals must have access to legal representation, be informed of the grounds for deportations and have the ability to challenge decisions before an impartial authority through an effective appeals process. Under customary international law and the 1951 Refugee Convention , individuals have the right to non-refoulement which prohibits the return of individuals to a country where they would face a real risk of persecution or harm. The IBAHRI calls on the US to remember its international legal obligations and bring ICE back under the remit of the state.
The IBAHRI is particularly concerned about a rise in the number of children removed from their homes by ICE. Between January and October 2025, approximately 3,800 minors - including infants - were placed in family detention facilities, according to the Deportation Data Project. More than 2,600 were apprehended by ICE officers, which suggests that they were apprehended inside the US rather than at the border, marking a significant departure from previous practice. Despite protections under the 1997 Flores Settlement - a landmark legal agreement that established national standards for the detention, treatment and release of immigrant children in federal custody - many minors have reportedly been held for days in makeshift facilities such as airports and office buildings that are inadequately equipped, and in very poor conditions. This treatment stands contrary to the obligations agreed in the Flores Settlement. Although the US has not ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), key provisions are recognised as customary international law and protection must be afforded to children in detention under international law. Under the General Assembly Resolution 43/173, which provides a Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons Under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment , all persons in detention must be treated in a humane manner. Moreover, a person shall not be kept in detention without being given an effective opportunity to be heard promptly by a judicial or other authority. IBAHRI reminds the US of its obligations with regards to the treatment of detainees, particularly children, under domestic and international law.
IBAHRI Director and Chair of the High Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom, Baroness Helena Kennedy LT KC, commented: 'Under the Flores Settlement children are offered special legal protections. Children must be kept in suitable conditions and must be released promptly. Many minors have spent several days in makeshift sites such as airports and office buildings that are not equipped to hold people in detention. This is an unethical practice and an overreach of the state that must be stopped.'
The IBAHRI reaffirms its commitment to safeguarding human rights worldwide, condemns the actions of ICE, and urges the relevant authorities to ensure full accountability and justice in all cases of state-sanctioned killings.
