The Mexican government, through the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs (SRE), filed criminal complaints on July 14, 2026 with the United States Department of Justice and state prosecutors over the deaths of 17 Mexican citizens in ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) custody or operations, El Financiero reported.
President Claudia Sheinbaum specified that of the 17 deaths, 14 occurred inside immigration detention centers and three during ICE field operations. The most recent case is that of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican national shot by an immigration agent in Houston, Texas, an incident that both the Houston city government and the US federal government are investigating independently. Sheinbaum called on all political parties and Mexico's Congress to submit formal information requests and to publicly reject the human rights violations against Mexican nationals in the United States, Excélsior reported.
Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco had previously notified US Ambassador Ronald Johnson of Mexico's decision; Johnson was receptive to Mexico's concerns, according to diplomatic sources. The SRE is also exploring joining as amicus curiae in a civil class-action lawsuit against ICE, and has announced additional legal actions against private companies operating immigration detention centers. The Mexican Senate approved a unanimous condemnation statement on July 13, while the Chamber of Deputies is preparing resolutions demanding thorough and impartial investigations.
The decision marks a shift in Mexico's consular protection strategy, moving from diplomatic engagement to direct legal action in US courts. For a diaspora of more than 37 million people of Mexican origin in the United States, the consular precedent set by these complaints opens a new avenue for defending the rights of Mexican citizens abroad, with implications that will unfold over the coming years.
This article was drafted with artificial intelligence assistance from verified sources and reviewed by a human editor before publication.