Mexico will file criminal complaints in the United States concerning the deaths of Mexican citizens who died while in immigration custody or during anti-immigration operations, Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco announced on Thursday.
Details of the Deaths
Velasco told a press conference that 14 Mexican nationals have lost their lives while in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and three more died during arrest operations conducted by the agency. The announcement comes days after an ICE agent shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican national who had been living in the US illegally for three decades.
“We are going to move beyond the diplomatic sphere and go directly to US prosecutors to file complaints regarding these incidents,” Velasco said.
Context of the Killings
Salgado Araujo’s killing sparked protests in Houston and brought to at least six the number of people shot dead in immigration enforcement operations since January 2025, when President Donald Trump returned to office and launched a campaign of mass deportations.
The Mexican government’s decision to pursue criminal complaints marks an escalation in its response to what it views as excessive use of force by US immigration authorities.
