Key facts
- Mexico has formally requested US state attorneys general criminally investigate deaths of immigrants in ICE custody or during raids.
- The request follows the death of Mexican immigrant Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was shot by an ICE agent in Houston.
- Seventeen Mexican immigrants have died during immigration enforcement since the beginning of Donald Trump's second term.
- Mexico is also sending a similar request to the US Department of Justice.
- Mexico is sending letters to detention centers demanding they cease actions leading to deaths, such as preventing medical care.
- Mexico's foreign minister has also requested the UN high commissioner for human rights gather information on these deaths.
Mexico has formally requested that US state attorneys general initiate criminal investigations into the deaths of immigrants in the custody of or during operations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This action follows the recent death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican immigrant who was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Houston.
According to the Mexican government, 17 Mexican immigrants have died during immigration enforcement activities since the beginning of Donald Trump's second term, with 14 deaths occurring in ICE custody and three during agency operations. Mexico's foreign ministry has stated that a similar request will also be submitted to the US Department of Justice.
In addition to the calls for criminal investigations, Mexico has begun sending letters to US detention centers where Mexican immigrants have died. These letters demand an immediate cessation of actions or omissions that led to these deaths, such as preventing access to prompt medical care. The Adelanto detention center in California, where four Mexican immigrants have died, was the first to receive such a letter. These letters are considered a preliminary step towards potential civil lawsuits against the companies operating these detention centers for human rights violations.
Roberto Velasco, the Mexican foreign minister, also contacted Volker Türk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, requesting that US authorities provide information on the deaths and analyze their compatibility with international human rights obligations. He also asked for the Human Rights Council's opinion and recommendations on these cases.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, stated that Salgado Araujo, 52, rammed an ICE vehicle, and the agent fired in self-defense. Salgado Araujo had no criminal record and had resided in the US for 35 years. His death prompted protests in Houston and calls for an independent investigation from Democrats and his family.
These developments represent an escalation in the Mexican government's response under President Claudia Sheinbaum to the US immigration policies.