Mexico to seek US criminal complaints over ICE-related deaths of citizens

President Sheinbaum announces Mexico’s strongest effect yet to deaths successful ICE custody and during US migration enforcement operations.

The authorities of Mexico has said it volition inquire United States prosecutors to unfastened transgression investigations into the deaths of its citizens during migration enforcement operations.

At her Thursday greeting quality conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico “cannot crook a unsighted oculus to the Mexicans who person died”.

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“We made the determination — obviously, we volition support diplomatic relations — to record a ceremonial ailment with some authorities and national prosecutors successful the United States against whoever is recovered liable for what we see to beryllium homicides or, successful different cases, for quality rights violations,” Sheinbaum said.

Her remarks signalled that Mexico is prepared to contented its strongest effect yet to the increasing fig of fatalities linked to US President Donald Trump’s deportation crackdown.

The determination comes 2 days aft a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) cause changeable and killed 52-year-old Mexican nationalist Lorenzo Salgado Araujo during an migration cognition successful Houston.

According to Mexico’s government, 14 Mexican nationals have died portion successful ICE custody, and 3 others person been killed during migration enforcement operations.

Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco explained that Mexico had issued diplomatic notes successful protestation of the killings, but repeated attempts to prosecute with US authorities had failed.

“We are going to determination beyond the diplomatic sphere and spell straight to US prosecutors to record complaints regarding these incidents, requesting that they are investigated arsenic transgression matters,” helium told reporters.

Velasco added that Mexico besides plans to record civilian lawsuits against the backstage companies that run US migration detention centres.

Salgado Araujo’s sidesplitting this week has renewed outrage implicit ICE tactics connected some sides of the US-Mexico border.

On Wednesday night, hundreds of radical marched done Houston’s historical Magnolia Park neighbourhood, chanting “ICE retired of Houston”.

Salgado Araujo’s household has said helium lived successful the US for 35 years, had nary transgression convictions and was driving a unit to a operation tract erstwhile helium was killed. They explained helium had been moving towards getting ineligible status.

The family, arsenic good arsenic politicians similar New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and US Congress members similar Representative Sylvia Garcia, person called for a afloat probe into his killing.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, Salgado Araujo ignored officers’ commands during an migration halt and tried to ram an cause with his vehicle, prompting the serviceman to unfastened fire.

His household disputes that relationship and, on with civilian rights groups, is demanding authorities merchandise video footage of the encounter.

Reuters reports Salgado Araujo’s decease brings the fig of radical fatally changeable during US migration enforcement operations to astatine slightest six since Trump returned to bureau for a 2nd word arsenic US president successful January 2025.

Mexico has repeatedly raised concerns implicit the attraction of its citizens successful ICE custody. After different Mexican nationalist died successful detention successful April, its Foreign Ministry ordered consular officials to summation their visits to ICE detention centres from play to daily.

The ministry besides said it would prosecute “all disposable ineligible and diplomatic avenues” to question accountability.

“The repeated occurrence of deaths successful custody is unacceptable and reveals superior deficiencies successful ICE detention centers, which are incompatible with quality rights standards and the extortion of quality life,” it wrote.

The fig of deaths successful ICE custody has besides risen sharply. Thirty-two detainees died successful 2025, compared to 11 successful 2024, according to the agency’s website.

An estimated 19 in-custody deaths person occurred betwixt January and aboriginal June of this year.

The US Department of Homeland Security has rejected the thought that the numbers represented a rise, telling Al Jazeera successful June that “there has been NO spike successful deaths”. It has argued that ICE detention centres support a “higher modular of attraction than astir prisons that clasp US citizens”.