Mexico is moving beyond diplomatic protests to file criminal complaints directly with American prosecutors over the deaths of Mexican nationals in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco Álvarez announced Thursday.
The shift marks a significant escalation in Mexico's response to what it characterizes as a mounting crisis. President Claudia Sheinbaum said her government would pursue every available avenue to seek accountability, telling reporters that Mexico cannot ignore citizens who have died in ICE operations or while detained.
The timing comes as one of the most visible cases in months has drawn scrutiny from Mexico City to human rights bodies worldwide. Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a longtime Houston resident, was shot by ICE agents early Tuesday during what the federal agency called a targeted enforcement operation. The Department of Homeland Security said Araujo "weaponized his vehicle" in an attempt to strike an officer. He died at a local hospital. The FBI and DHS are now investigating the shooting, while community leaders are demanding an independent review.
According to data Velasco Álvarez presented to reporters, Mexico has issued 11 formal diplomatic protests demanding explanations for the deaths of its nationals. Now the government intends to ask U.S. prosecutors to investigate these incidents as criminal matters, moving the dispute into the American legal system rather than relying on the diplomatic channel alone.
The numbers underscore the stakes. Fourteen Mexican nationals have died in ICE custody since Trump took office, with another three killed during ICE operations, according to the Detention Watch Network. More broadly, 19 immigrants have died in ICE custody in 2026, compared with 31 in 2025. Over Biden's entire presidency, ICE reported 26 total deaths.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has already weighed in, calling the death toll "alarming" and demanding independent, impartial investigations into all deaths in ICE custody.
Velasco Álvarez is also pursuing action through the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which investigates human rights violations complaints across 34 countries in the Americas, including the United States.
Homeland Security officials pushed back against the characterization, stating that the death rate in ICE custody remains consistent with historical data. A DHS spokesman told reporters that as of late May, the rate stood at 0.008 percent of the detained population, and that the agency has maintained a higher standard of care than most prisons holding U.S. citizens, including access to medical care.
Author James Rodriguez: "Mexico's decision to file criminal complaints represents a strategic shift that could force the Trump administration to answer uncomfortable questions in American courts, not just diplomatic channels, about what's happening inside its detention system."
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