Mexico to File Criminal Complaints in U.S. Over Deaths of Mexican Citizens in ICE Custody

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that her government will file criminal complaints in the United States regarding Mexican citizens who died while in custody of immigration authorities or during enforcement operations.

Mexico to File Criminal Complaints in U.S. Over Deaths of Mexican Citizens in ICE Custody

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced on Thursday that her government intends to submit criminal complaints to U.S. authorities concerning Mexican nationals who lost their lives while detained by immigration services or during immigration enforcement operations.

According to the Mexican government, fourteen Mexican citizens have died while in custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Additionally, three more Mexicans were killed during arrest operations conducted by the agency.

The announcement follows the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican national who had been living in the United States without documentation for three decades. An ICE agent shot him on Tuesday in Houston. His death brought to at least six the number of people killed by gunfire during immigration enforcement operations since January 2025, when President Donald Trump returned to office and launched a campaign of mass deportations.

"We cannot close our eyes to the Mexicans who have lost their lives," Sheinbaum stated during her daily press conference. She added that the criminal complaints aim to hold accountable those considered to have committed homicides or human rights violations.

The Mexican government will also pursue civil lawsuits against private companies operating migrant detention centers in the United States, according to Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco. He explained that this move comes after repeated unsuccessful attempts to engage with U.S. authorities through diplomatic channels.

"We will go beyond the diplomatic sphere and address U.S. prosecutors directly to file complaints regarding these incidents, requesting that they be investigated as criminal cases," Velasco stated.

In response to a Reuters request for comment, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated that it has not observed an increase in the death rate of detainees under the Trump administration and that "all detainees receive full due process and are provided with appropriate meals, water, medical care, as well as the ability to communicate with their family members and their attorneys."

Source: in.gr

Source: In.gr