Mexico will pursue criminal complaints in US federal and local courts over the deaths of 17 Mexican nationals in immigration custody or during enforcement operations since President Donald Trump returned to office, President Claudia Sheinbaum announced on Sunday. Fourteen of the deceased died in detention centers and three during raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The announcement follows the shooting death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by an ICE agent in Houston on July 7, the most recent fatality linked to the crackdown. At least nine people have died during immigration enforcement operations nationwide since Trump's second term began, including US citizens. Mexico will also file a civil lawsuit targeting private companies operating detention centers for alleged misconduct.
Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco had signaled the legal push earlier in the week. Mexico has separately asked the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to advocate for migrants as 177,000 Mexican nationals have been detained in the US this year.