Mexico has begun a coordinated legal and diplomatic response to a series of deaths involving its nationals in U.S. immigration custody and during enforcement operations, the country's foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
According to the ministry, Mexican authorities have filed criminal complaints with state prosecutors in the United States in relation to the deaths of Mexican citizens while detained by U.S. immigration authorities and during law enforcement actions. The ministry also said it has issued cease-and-desist letters to detention centers in the U.S. where Mexican nationals have died.
The filings and letters come after what the ministry described as a string of deaths, including at least 14 Mexican nationals who died while in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, and several others who died during arrest operations. Among the incidents cited by the government is the recent fatal shooting of a Mexican citizen by an ICE agent in Houston.
President Claudia Sheinbaum announced last Friday that Mexico would step up its response to these deaths, saying the government "cannot turn a blind eye to the Mexicans who have died." The administration's actions aim to pursue legal avenues in the United States while also raising the matter with international bodies.
In parallel with the complaints and detention-center notices, Mexico's foreign minister has reached out to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. The ministry said Mexico expects the U.N. office to obtain information from U.S. authorities, examine the circumstances of the cases and "refer the case to the relevant special procedures of the Human Rights Council," the statement added.
The foreign ministry's announcement frames the steps as part of a multi-pronged approach combining domestic legal filings in the United States, formal notices to detention facilities, and engagement with the U.N. human rights system. The statement did not provide additional details on the specific charges included in the criminal complaints or name the detention centers that received cease-and-desist letters.
Mexico's move signals an escalation in how it is addressing deaths of its citizens connected to U.S. immigration enforcement, linking state-level legal action with international human rights mechanisms.