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Mexico escalates ICE deaths
Mexico said it will file criminal complaints in the United States over the deaths of 17 Mexicans in ICE custody or during immigration enforcement operations under President Donald Trump’s second term, with Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco describing the case of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston as a “painful tragedy.”
“Mexico is seeking a criminal investigation in the United States related to the deaths of 17 Mexicans”
President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico intends to “move beyond the diplomatic realm and go directly to the US prosecutors’ offices to file complaints about these events, requesting a criminal investigation into what happened,” after an ICE officer fatally shot Salgado Araujo during a targeted enforcement operation in Houston.
Mexican officials said 14 Mexicans died while in ICE custody and another three died during ICE “arrest operations,” while the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said there has been “NO spike in deaths” and that only “.008% of the detained population” has died under the Trump administration.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said ICE law enforcement attempted to conduct a vehicle stop as part of a targeted enforcement operation to arrest an illegal alien, and that Salgado Araujo “weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run over” an ICE officer, prompting the officer to fire in self-defense.
Protests and competing narratives
In Houston, where an ICE officer shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, CNN reported that “more than a thousand people protested in Houston,” and the BBC said the family of Salgado Araujo told journalists he “did not deserve to be reduced to a headline of 'Mexican man shot and killed by ICE'.”
The BBC quoted a U.S. Department of Homeland Security statement published on X saying, “From information we are receiving, he rammed an ICE law enforcement vehicle, refused to follow multiple verbal commands,” and that the officer fired “in self-defence.”
Four members of the U.S. Congress demanded a fully independent and transparent investigation into Salgado’s death, and the BBC reported that Democrats urged the secretary of Homeland Security to not forget the cases of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis in January.
Sheinbaum framed the escalation as a response to what she called a pattern of mistreatment, telling reporters “We cannot turn a blind eye to the Mexicans who have died,” while the Department of Homeland Security insisted there has been “NO spike in deaths” and pointed to due process and medical care.
Civil lawsuits and next steps
Mexico said the criminal complaints will be accompanied by civil lawsuits against private companies that operate detention centers, with CNN reporting that Mexico will also send cease and desist letters to the private companies that manage U.S. detention centers where the deaths of Mexicans have been recorded.
“Mexico will also send cease and desist letters to the private companies”
The BBC said Mexico plans to launch civil cases against companies which manage U.S. detentions centres where 14 of its nationals died, while the Hill reported that Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco said Mexico will file civil lawsuits against companies including the Geo Group and CoreCivic that operate immigration detention centers in the U.S.
In addition to seeking criminal investigations, Mexico said it would appeal to international authorities, with CNN reporting plans to submit requests to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the UN human rights chief, and the Al Jazeera report saying Mexico would file civil lawsuits against private companies that operate U.S. immigration detention centres.
The Hill also reported that the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General is conducting an internal investigation into the fatal shooting, and that the FBI is investigating allegations of an assault on a federal officer, as Mexico’s criminal complaints aim to hold ICE officers or officials accountable for deaths under the U.S. government’s watch.