Mexico plans to file criminal complaints in the United States over the deaths of Mexican nationals in immigration custody and during immigration enforcement operations, escalating pressure on the Trump administration over ICE practices and detention conditions.
President Claudia Sheinbaum said her government would take legal action in the U.S. after Mexican citizens died while detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement or during anti-immigration operations.
“We cannot turn a blind eye to the Mexicans who have died,” Sheinbaum said.
Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco Álvarez said Mexico would go beyond diplomatic channels and bring complaints directly to U.S. prosecutors. According to the Mexican government, 14 Mexican nationals have died in ICE custody and three others have died during ICE arrest operations.
The latest flashpoint came after Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national, was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Houston on Tuesday. Reuters reported that his death brought to at least six the number of people shot dead in immigration enforcement operations since Trump returned to office in January 2025.
The Department of Homeland Security said officers were conducting a targeted enforcement operation and that Salgado Araujo rammed an ICE vehicle before an officer fired in self-defence. AP reported that Salgado Araujo was not the intended target of the operation, according to U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia.
Local officials and community advocates have called for greater transparency over the shooting. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office is investigating the incident.
DHS has disputed suggestions that deaths in immigration custody have surged. A Homeland Security official said there had been “no spike in deaths” and said the death rate in custody under the administration stood at 0.008% of the detained population as of May 29.
The case has added to diplomatic tensions between Mexico and the United States as Sheinbaum’s government seeks answers over deaths linked to U.S. immigration enforcement.
