Mexico has formally requested that U.S. state attorneys general conduct criminal investigations into the deaths of migrants who have died in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or during agency raids. The Mexican government announced the request on Tuesday.
This action follows the death of Mexican national Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Houston. Since the beginning of President Donald Trump's second term, a total of 17 Mexican migrants have died during immigration enforcement actions, including 14 in ICE custody and three during agency operations.
Mexico's Foreign Ministry had previously indicated its intention to make this request, which was formalized on Tuesday. The ministry also stated that a similar request will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. The United States is not legally obligated to comply with these requests.
Additionally, the Mexican government has begun sending letters to U.S. detention centers where Mexican migrants have died. These letters demand that the centers "immediately cease the actions or omissions that resulted in these deaths, such as preventing access to prompt and expedited medical care, as well as the application of policies incompatible with medical and penitentiary standards."
The first detention center to receive such a letter was Adelanto, California, where four Mexican migrants have died. The letters are considered a preliminary step toward the potential filing of civil lawsuits against the companies operating these detention centers to address human rights violations, according to the ministry.
Last week, Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco announced the country's intention to approach U.S. authorities directly to seek criminal investigations in cases of Mexicans killed while in ICE custody or during enforcement operations.
Salgado Araujo, who reportedly had no criminal record and had resided in the U.S. for 35 years, was shot last Tuesday while en route to a job site in Houston with his construction crew. His death prompted protests in Houston and calls for an independent investigation from both Democratic officials and Salgado Araujo's family.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, stated that Salgado Araujo, 52, had rammed an ICE vehicle, and a federal agent fired their weapon in self-defense.
Velasco also sent a letter to Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, requesting that U.S. authorities compile information on the deaths of Mexican migrants in ICE custody and assess the compatibility of these events with international human rights obligations. The foreign minister further asked Türk to seek the opinion of the Human Rights Council, a UN intergovernmental body, on these cases and solicit recommendations.
These developments signify an intensification of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum's response to the immigration policies of the Trump administration. Earlier this year, Sheinbaum directed Mexico's diplomatic missions throughout the U.S. to conduct regular check-ins with ICE detainees and her administration has previously lodged a complaint with Türk.