Mexico files legal complaints over deaths of 17 nationals in US ICE custody

The Mexican government, led by President Claudia Sheinbaum, has escalated its response to the deaths of 17 Mexican nationals linked to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Four criminal complaints have been filed with state prosecutors and the U.S. Department of Justice, and cease‑and‑desist letters were sent to detention centers, beginning with the Adelanto facility in California. Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco asked the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, to investigate the cases and assess whether they breach U.S. international human‑rights obligations. The Mexican Senate approved a resolution demanding an impartial investigation and greater oversight of ICE operations. The deaths include 14 occurring while detainees were in ICE custody and three during enforcement raids, the most recent being Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, shot by an ICE agent in Houston on 7 July. Sheinbaum said, “We must raise our voices when there are human‑rights violations against our fellow citizens.” Mexico’s actions combine diplomatic notes, legal filings, and appeals to international bodies while emphasizing that they do not seek a confrontation with the United States.