The Mexican government has officially requested that U.S. state attorneys general conduct criminal investigations into the deaths of migrants who have perished while in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or during agency operations. According to officials, a similar formal request is being directed to the U.S. Department of Justice, although the United States is not under any legal obligation to act on these petitions.
This diplomatic escalation follows the recent death of 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican immigrant who was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Houston. While the Department of Homeland Security maintains that the agent acted in self-defense after Salgado Araujo allegedly rammed an ICE vehicle, the incident has drawn significant backlash. Salgado Araujo, who had no criminal record and had resided in the U.S. for 35 years, was killed while driving his construction crew to a job site. His death has prompted protests in Houston and calls for an independent probe from family members and Democratic officials.
Data from the Mexican government indicates that since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, 17 Mexican migrants have died during immigration enforcement actions, with 14 occurring in ICE custody and three during agency operations. In response to these figures, the Mexican Foreign Ministry has begun sending formal letters to U.S. detention centers where such deaths have occurred. The first facility to receive such a notice was the Adelanto center in California, where four Mexican migrants have died. These letters demand that centers immediately cease actions or omissions that result in fatalities, specifically citing the denial of prompt medical care and the implementation of policies that conflict with standard medical and penitentiary protocols. These letters serve as a preliminary step toward potential civil litigation against the private companies operating these facilities.
Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco has also petitioned Volker Türk, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, requesting that U.S. authorities compile comprehensive information on these deaths to analyze their compatibility with international human rights obligations. These actions represent a significant tightening of the stance taken by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum regarding U.S. immigration enforcement. Earlier this year, President Sheinbaum directed Mexican diplomatic missions across the United States to maintain regular contact with detainees and previously filed a complaint with the U.N. regarding the situation.
