The Mexican government said it will seek criminal charges in the U.S. in the deaths of 17 Mexican nationals. They were all deaths that happened during immigration operations or immigration detentions under President Donald Trump’s second term.
14 of the people died while they were in the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, according to Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco; the other three died during the agency’s operations. Instead of going through the diplomatic route, the Mexican government plans to file formal complaints against the US prosecutor.
Mexico, besides criminal complaints, will send cease and desist letters to private contractors in charge of the detention centers where these deaths took place. This legal tool is “the first step” in “civil action” against the companies in question, Velasco said.
Escalating from Diplomatic Protests to Legal Action
Before this statement, Mexico already had issued 11 diplomatic notes of protest over the deaths. So far, the US has responded by saying they are still conducting internal investigations.
In a recent statement, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that all detainees are being treated appropriately and that they receive due process. The agency has also stated that its officers are specifically trained to only use the minimum amount of force. The U.S. Department of Justice is still awaiting additional comments on Mexico’s upcoming legal actions.
The change in approach comes on the heels of the death of 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was shot and killed during a traffic stop last week. The man’s family said he was scared by the unmarked vehicles chasing him, but authorities in the United States say the officer was in fear for his life as Salgado Araujo resisted arrest and tried to run the officer down.
After the event, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called the fatalities “homicide” and “grave human rights violations. She said her government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, could not ignore the deaths of its citizens in operations or private, illegal detention centres.
Mexico will push the matter to international forums, in addition to the legal avenues available under Mexican law. The government will make formal requests for review to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the United Nations Human Rights Office,” Velasco confirmed.
