The government of President Claudia Sheinbaum will bring this Monday the case of 17 dead Mexicans, cases related to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE) before judicial authorities, in a new step to demand investigations for alleged violations of the human rights of migrants.

The president of Mexico announced that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) will present complaints to the Department of Justice as well as to state prosecutors' offices, with the aim of clarifying the deaths of her compatriots registered in different events related to immigration policy.

Beyond diplomatic efforts

The decision, he explained, is part of a strategy that seeks to go beyond diplomatic efforts and use the legal mechanisms available to demand accountability when there are possible abuses against Mexican citizens.

One of the files included corresponds to the death of Mexican Lorenzo Salgado during an immigration operation recently carried out in Houston, Texas. According to Sheinbaum, this case is already being investigated by local and federal authorities in the United States.

The complaints also contemplate events that occurred in immigration detention centers and the death of three compatriots during ICE operations, situations that, according to the Mexican Government, could constitute violations of human rights.

In addition to reporting on the legal actions, the president called on the country's different political actors to support the defense of Mexicans living abroad.

Sheinbaum's call to Congress and political parties

“It is not just a matter for the Government of Mexico; it is a matter for all Mexicans,” he stated during his morning conference.

In this context, he asked the Permanent Commission of the Congress of the Union to issue a statement on the events and called on all political parties, without distinction, to demand information from the US authorities and express their rejection of any alleged violation of the rights of their compatriots.

Sheinbaum maintained that protecting the lives and human rights of Mexicans outside the country must be assumed as a national cause, especially in the United States, where the largest community of Mexican migrants resides.

The announcement represents a new stage in the Mexican Government's position regarding the cases of Mexican deaths in the United States. Last week, the president announced that her administration would resort to legal action after the death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo during an ICE operation in Houston.

According to information from the Government of Mexico, since the tightening of the immigration policy promoted by President Donald Trump, several deaths of Mexicans have been recorded both in detention centers and in operations of the US immigration authorities.