The Mexican government has formally launched a legal strategy in the United States to seek justice for the deaths of Mexican nationals while in the custody of, or during operations conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This will be done through complaints filed with U.S. authorities, civil actions against detention centers, and a request for intervention by the United Nations.
Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Relations (SRE) announced that these measures began on July 13, following President Claudia Sheinbaum’s pledge to take stronger action in response to the deaths of Mexican nationals linked to immigration enforcement operations and detention facilities.
In coordination with the Office of the Federal Attorney General of Mexico (FGR), the Mexican government will file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice, which will be submitted through the Mexican Embassy in the United States.
At the same time, the Mexican government has begun filing complaints with the appropriate state prosecutors’ offices, with support from the Embassy and Mexico’s consular network.
The Foreign Ministry has also started sending cease-and-desist letters to detention centers where Mexican nationals have died. The first was sent to the Adelanto Detention Center in California, where, according to the SRE, four Mexican nationals have died.
The purpose is to demand the immediate cessation of any actions or omissions that may have contributed to those deaths, including the denial of timely medical care or the implementation of policies inconsistent with accepted medical and correctional standards. According to the ministry, these letters constitute the first formal step toward potential civil litigation.
The strategy also includes an international component. Mexico’s foreign minister sent a communication to Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, informing him of the deaths of Mexican nationals while in ICE custody.
Mexico requested that the High Commissioner’s Office obtain information from U.S. authorities, determine whether the incidents comply with international human rights obligations, issue the appropriate recommendations, and, if warranted, refer the cases to the special procedures of the U.N. Human Rights Council.
The Ministry of Foreign Relations emphasized that these actions remain in the investigative phase, which is considered a necessary step before pursuing any judicial proceedings that may be appropriate.
The ministry also reiterated that it will continue providing assistance to the victims’ families through Mexico’s consular network and declared that the Mexican government will act firmly to defend the rights of its citizens abroad using all legal mechanisms available in both countries and under international law.
