Mexico City — The Mexican government announced it will pursue legal action in the United States following the deaths of 17 Mexican nationals in incidents linked to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), saying diplomatic efforts have yielded insufficient results.
Roberto Velasco, head of the North America unit at the Foreign Affairs Secretariat (SRE), said Mexico will file complaints with U.S. authorities demanding investigations and sanctions in cases where there may have been human rights violations against Mexican citizens. The SRE will also ask the Federal Prosecutor’s Office (FGR) to pursue criminal charges in Mexico where appropriate.
In addition, the government plans to pursue civil lawsuits against private companies that operate immigration detention centers where several of the deaths occurred, and to seek recourse through international human rights bodies to strengthen protections for Mexican migrants.
Officials said the measures respond to a rise in deaths of Mexicans in ICE custody or during ICE operations, including the recent case of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who died in Houston, Texas.
The SRE said it will continue providing consular assistance to victims’ families and reiterated that protecting the rights of Mexicans abroad is a federal priority.
