Mexico to ask US prosecutors to open criminal probes into Mexican deaths in ICE custody
Mexico will ask US prosecutors to open criminal investigations into Mexican deaths in ICE custody and during US immigration enforcement, Sheinbaum said.
President Sheinbaum announces criminal complaints and stepped-up legal action after a string of fatalities linked to US immigration enforcement, saying Mexico will seek accountability for Mexican deaths in ICE custody. Sheinbaum told reporters that Mexico would file formal complaints with both state and federal prosecutors in the United States and pursue civil claims against private companies that operate detention centres. The announcement follows the fatal shooting this week of 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo during an ICE operation in Houston, a case that has intensified calls for investigations.
Mexico to file criminal complaints with US state and federal prosecutors
Mexico’s president said her government will move beyond diplomatic protests to lodge criminal complaints in the United States over deaths of Mexican nationals in immigration custody and enforcement operations. The government identified 14 Mexicans who have died while in ICE custody and three more killed during immigration enforcement operations, and officials described those cases as possible homicides or human rights violations. Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco told reporters that repeated diplomatic notes had not produced meaningful engagement, prompting the decision to seek direct legal action with US prosecutors.
Details of the Houston shooting and family demands
The move was prompted in part by the killing in Houston of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52‑year‑old Mexican national shot by an ICE agent during an immigration operation. Salgado Araujo’s family say he had lived in the United States for 35 years, had no criminal convictions and was driving a crew to a construction site while working toward legal status. Department of Homeland Security officials have said the agent fired after reporting that Salgado Araujo ignored commands and attempted to ram an officer, but the family and civil rights groups dispute that account and are calling for full release of video footage.
Legal and diplomatic steps announced by Mexico
Mexico’s Foreign Ministry confirmed it will file criminal complaints with relevant US prosecutors and pursue civil litigation against private companies that run US immigration detention facilities. The ministry also ordered increased consular access to detained Mexican nationals, raising visits from weekly to daily after a detention death in April. Officials framed the actions as using “all available legal and diplomatic avenues” to obtain accountability and to address what they described as systemic deficiencies in detention conditions that may violate human rights standards.
Official US responses and agency data on in-custody deaths
US authorities have pushed back on characterisations of a spike in deaths, with the Department of Homeland Security telling media outlets in June that there has been no sudden increase and defending care standards in ICE facilities. Agency figures cited by Mexico show 32 detainee deaths in 2025, compared with 11 in 2024, and an estimated 19 in-custody deaths between January and early June 2026. The contrasting accounts set the stage for legal scrutiny and competing narratives about detention practices, oversight and transparency.
Public reaction and community protests in Houston
Salgado Araujo’s death has prompted protests and public outcry in Houston and beyond, with hundreds marching through the Magnolia Park neighbourhood chanting against ICE presence. Local politicians and some US lawmakers have called for independent investigations and for authorities to make available all video and investigative material related to the shooting. Civil rights groups say the incident underscores long-standing concerns about immigration enforcement tactics and the treatment of migrants in custody.
Implications for US–Mexico relations and next steps
Mexico’s decision to take legal action in US courts marks an escalation from diplomatic notes to judicial processes that could test bilateral channels of cooperation on migration and consular protection. Officials in Mexico emphasised that the actions do not seek to sever relations, but are aimed at pursuing justice and prevention through legal means. The filing of criminal complaints and civil suits, if lodged, will likely prompt legal challenges, demands for evidence disclosure and potential diplomatic negotiations over consular access and oversight of detention operations.
As Mexico prepares filings with state and federal prosecutors, the cases are expected to focus on both individual incidents and broader detention conditions, seeking answers about causes of death, use of force and company responsibility in privately operated facilities.
The announcement by President Sheinbaum signals a sustained campaign by Mexico to hold US authorities and detention operators to account for Mexican deaths in ICE custody and during immigration enforcement.
