Mexico to file legal complaints over 17 deaths involving ICE

July 13 (UPI) -- Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday that her government will file criminal complaints and civil lawsuits in the United States over the deaths of 17 Mexican citizens who died in the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody or during ICE operations between June 2025 and this month.

The decision marks a shift by the Mexican government from diplomatic complaints to pursuing criminal and civil action through the U.S. legal system.

During her daily news conference, Sheinbaum said the complaints will be formally filed with the U.S. Justice Department and state prosecutors to seek criminal penalties against anyone found responsible.

She said the Mexican government also will pursue civil lawsuits against private companies contracted by ICE to operate immigration detention centers.

Among the 17 cases, Sheinbaum highlighted the death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was fatally shot in Houston by federal ICE agents who mistook him for a Guatemalan citizen during an operation. Sheinbaum said local authorities and the U.S. government are conducting parallel investigations into the case.

The victim's family has accused ICE of murder and a cover-up, although authorities have not made an official determination.

Sheinbaum said Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco informed U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald D. Johnson about the legal action the Mexican government plans to take on behalf of its citizens.

Mexico has sent 11 diplomatic notes to the U.S. State Department demanding thorough investigations into the deaths. The government also has sought precautionary measures from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and plans to formally request the intervention of the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Of the 17 deaths, 14 involved Mexican citizens who died in private or government-run detention centers, with cases reported at facilities including the Adelanto detention center in California and the Florence Correctional Complex in Arizona.

Sheinbaum said speaking out against human rights violations involving Mexican citizens in the United States does not pose a risk to bilateral relations with President Donald Trump's administration.

"We have a relationship in terms of trade, we have a relationship on security, but we have to raise our voice when the human rights of our fellow citizens are violated," she said.

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This story was originally published July 13, 2026 at 3:42 PM.