The Mexican government has vowed to file criminal complaints in the United States, citing the recent shooting of a Mexican national by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the deaths of Mexican citizens in immigration custody.
Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco held a press conference Thursday and told attendees that 14 Mexican citizens have died in ICE custody, and three additional citizens died during arrest operations.
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“We are going to move beyond the diplomatic sphere and go directly to U.S. prosecutors to file complaints regarding these incidents, requesting that they are investigated as criminal matters,” Velasco said.
The foreign minister also pointed to the recent death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican man who was shot by ICE officers during a traffic stop in Houston and subsequently died of his injuries. The Department of Homeland Security has claimed Salgado Araujo was shot in self-defense after he allegedly “weaponized” his vehicle and tried to run over the officers.
Salgado Araujo’s death sparked protests in Houston, with protesters urging an independent investigation of the incident. The DHS Office of Inspector General is investigating the ICE-involved shooting, which has drawn concern that the matter will not be investigated fairly.
President Claudia Sheinbaum also called for legal action on Wednesday following the shooting in Texas, noting Salgado Araujo’s death is one of many that have occurred in the U.S. as a result of immigration enforcement.
“There has been another tragic death of one of our compatriots in the United States due to detention issues, even though their only ‘offense’ is not yet having proper documentation,” Sheinbaum said.
The DHS disputed the notion that illegal immigrants face unjustly harsh treatment at the hands of ICE.
“There has been NO spike in deaths,” a DHS spokesman told the Washington Examiner in a statement. “Consistent with data over the last decade, as of May 29, death rates in custody under the Trump administration are 0.008% of the detained population.”
“As bed space has rapidly expanded, we have maintained [a higher] standard of care than most prisons that hold U.S. citizens—including providing access to proper medical care,” the spokesman continued. “For many illegal aliens this is the best healthcare they have received their entire lives.”
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Velasco said the legal action will include civil lawsuits against the companies that manage detention centers, sending letters to withdraw from U.S.-Mexico agreements, and coordinating with human rights groups.
According to DHS data, roughly 19 immigrants have died in ICE custody so far this year. Some detainees may have suffered from prior medical conditions that did not receive proper care, according to the detainee death reporting page.
