Mexico city: The Mexican government will take legal action against the United States over the deaths of 17 Mexican citizens while in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody or during anti-immigration operations carried out by the agency, President Claudia Sheinbaum announced Thursday. The announcement marks a pivotal step as Mexico seeks accountability for the tragic incidents involving its nationals on US soil.
According to Anadolu Agency, during a press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City, Mexican government officials presented an overview of the deaths of Mexican nationals at the hands of US authorities. They reported that 14 deaths have been documented in ICE detention centers and three during enforcement operations. Foreign Affairs Secretary Roberto Velazquez Alvarez announced that Mexico will move beyond diplomatic efforts and begin legal proceedings to clarify the circumstances surrounding these deaths.
"The Foreign Affairs Ministry will request support from the Attorney General's Office to formally file criminal complaints against those responsible before state prosecutors and the US Department of Justice over the deaths of Mexican nationals in ICE custody and during ICE operations," Alvarez stated. This move is a significant escalation from the previous diplomatic and consular efforts, which involved providing legal and financial assistance to the victims' families and sending 11 formal diplomatic protest notes to the US government, demanding thorough investigations into each case.
Alvarez further elaborated that Mexico will not only target the US government but also pursue civil action against private companies operating ICE detention centers. This includes issuing cease-and-desist letters over alleged human rights violations and the conditions that allegedly led to the deaths of 14 Mexican nationals under the supervision of private contractors.
The administration of President Donald Trump has made curbing migration flows a central pillar of its policy, relying on aggressive immigration enforcement campaigns that have drawn widespread criticism. In one of the latest incidents, ICE agents fatally shot and killed 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston, Texas. The Mexican national, who had lived in the United States for 30 years, is survived by his wife and two children.