Deaths of Mexicans in ICE custody strain bilateral relationship

The Mexican government confirmed the death of 13 Mexicans while they were in the custody of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE), amid the tightening of immigration policies in that country.

The undersecretary for North America, Roberto Velasco Álvarez, reported that the victims were between 19 and 69 years old, and that the cases were registered in different states of the United States.

CAUSES AND DISTRIBUTION OF CASES

According to the official, six of the deaths were related to medical complications, four were classified as suicides, two occurred during operations and one in a shooting.

The cases are distributed mainly in California, Georgia and Arizona, in addition to Texas, Missouri and Illinois.

DIPLOMATIC CLAIMS AND LEGAL ACTIONS

From the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 14 diplomatic communications have been sent as a sign of protest, of which 12 have received a response from the US State Department.

“It is a painful, heartbreaking and absolutely unacceptable issue for the government of Mexico,” said Velasco Álvarez.

Furthermore, with the support of the consular network, families of the victims have begun legal processes: two lawsuits have already been filed and other cases are in different integration and legal analysis folders.

PRESIDENTIAL STANCE

President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo assured that the issue has been raised directly with her counterpart, Donald Trump, in bilateral conversations.

“We ask that human rights be respected […] “We do not agree with these forms of detention,” he said.

The president added that Mexico will insist that exhaustive investigations be carried out to clarify the causes of each death.

SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES AND PENDINGS

The Mexican government also reported that it has raised more than $22,000 to support the repatriation of the bodies and provide assistance to affected families.

However, the case raises questions about the conditions in immigration detention centers in the United States and the effectiveness of supervision mechanisms, in a context where restrictive policies continue to impact the migrant population.