Mexico demands justice for the death of 17 nationals in immigration custody in the U.S.
The Government of Mexico maintains a firm stance in its demand to clarify the deaths of 17 Mexican citizens during immigration operations or while they were in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the United States. To date, U.S. authorities have only responded to four of the 20 complaints filed by the Mexican State.
Chancellor Roberto Velasco reported that, of the responses received, the district attorney’s offices of Ventura (California), Cook (Illinois), and Harris (Texas) have expressed their willingness to evaluate possible legal actions. In contrast, a prosecutor’s office in Florida decided to close the case after supporting the ICE’s version, which classified the death as a suicide, declining to conduct further investigations.
Diplomatic actions and international pressure
Mexico filed a total of 20 complaints distributed across eight state and 12 district attorney’s offices, covering states such as Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, and Texas. Given the lack of responses in most of the files, the Mexican consular network will intensify direct contact with local prosecutor’s offices to obtain concrete progress.
It is an extremely painful issue for the Government of Mexico and for the families of those who lost their lives. The absolute priority of the Foreign Ministry is to address these cases and guarantee the protection of our citizens, always within a framework of respect and not of conflict with the U.S. Government.
Roberto Velasco, Mexican Foreign Minister
In addition to local efforts, the Attorney General’s Office of the Republic (FGR) has formally requested a comprehensive investigation into these deaths from the U.S. Department of Justice. Likewise, the case has been elevated to international bodies, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, which has expressed concern over the lack of transparency in migration operations.
Escalation in immigration operations
The situation is framed within a context of tightening immigration policies, with government goals seeking to reach 2,000 arrests per day. Since the beginning of 2025, at least 30 incidents have been recorded where ICE agents used firearms against civilians, generating a growing wave of criticism from human rights advocacy organizations.
Recent cases, such as the fatal shootings of Mexican national Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Colombian national Johan Durán following traffic stops, have put the spotlight on the actions of immigration agents. Given this situation, the Mexican government reaffirms that it will continue working with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to ensure that the fundamental rights of migrants are respected.
See official publication regarding the position of the Government of Mexico
